Innocent Hearts, Tainted Souls
by TotalGamer98
Summary: "I'm four years older than you!" "I'm a prodigy." "You're a nut job." So went a normal conversation in the young lives of Spirit and Stein. Like normal boys, they each had their quirks while capturing and chasing the hearts of their female peers. But unlike normal boys, one's a madman and the other's a scythe. Explore their insanity-filled world, but guard your soul. COMPLETE
1. Entrance

**So I've decided to write another fanfic. Sounds like a great idea XD I became inspired for this after seeing a couple of Facebook comments on a picture of Spirit and Stein as kids. All the comments said that it was a great idea, so I decided to try it with this. All of the characters are in their early teen/preteen years, with similar outfits to their adult appearances. I'll try and explain them all at one point ;) On a side note, I'll try to keep chapters shorter than some of my other ones to make it an easier read LOL *I disclaim; I own not Soul Eater***

**Without further ado, TotalGamer98 presents to you:**

**Innocent Hearts, Tainted Souls**

**Chapter 1: Entrance**

* * *

The boy's hand continued to grip the knife's handle, his ragged breath filling the room like a haunting soundtrack. He kneeled on the bloodstained bed sheets, causing the blood to pool around his knees and stain his pants as well. His dull green eyes did nothing but stare forward at the carnage before him as his whole body shook.

The police arrived shortly, called by a neighbor who reported screaming and seeing blood splatter on her friend's window. The boy slowly turned to face them, but his eyes seemed to bore right through them instead of looking directly at them. He waited a moment, as if letting them take in the scene of the toppled bedside table, shattered lamp, crimson blood splashed on nearly everything, and an elementary-aged boy who had seemingly just brutally murdered his parents in their bed. Then the boy spoke.

"What… Happened?" His voice was slow and quiet, asking a question to which the answer was obvious. The police seized the knife from his hands and took it away, but the boy showed little resistance. Grabbing one arm each, two men hauled him to a squad car waiting outside. Its lights flashed in the boy's eyes. Again, he repeated the same quiet phrase, like a broken record.

"What happened?" He looked around, seeming to slowly regain life in his eyes and movement. He glanced upwards towards the moon, seeing its grinning face and the blood cascading down its teeth which indicated that someone had died that night. The boy turned his face back to himself, but his eyes widened with shock when he noticed the same scarlet liquid drenching his pajamas. He screamed in horror.

* * *

The school's bell rang loud in the teen's ears, clanging like an alarm clock he couldn't shut off. He groaned a little, spreading his schoolbook over his head to block out the noise instead as he rolled his head over on the desk.

"That bell means the teacher's almost here, Spirit," Muttered a nearby classmate. "Wake up." Spirit groaned again in reply, which caused the same classmate to pull the book off his head and hit him with its cover. Spirit merely chuckled, not opening his eyes.

"That didn't hurt," He teased. "You should hit me like Kami does when I flirt with her, with the spine-OW!" The blue-eyed teen's head shot up as his classmate did just that. "I didn't mean it literally, Azusa!" He snapped.

Azusa shrugged as she handed his book back to him. "Think before you speak, then," She shot back.

Spirit rolled his eyes. "Teach isn't even here yet. She's taking her good old time."

Azusa turned towards the student to the other side of her, choosing to ignore Spirit for the time being. "Doodling again, Marie?" She spoke accusingly. "Really. Ms. Celeste is almost here; put away the sketchbook."

Marie shook her head. "I'm almost done with this sketch; look at this cool pattern I came up with," She protested.

Azusa sighed at her friend. "Guys will never like you if your head's constantly stuck in a sketchbook," She told her.

"She's right!" Spirit interjected, leaning over in front of Azusa. "We love to see your pretty face!"

"Get out of my 'pretty face' or I'll slap yours," Hissed the raven-haired girl, prompting Spirit to scuttle back to his own seat.

"I don't really care if guys notice me," Remarked Marie in response to their statements. "All the relationships I've witnessed end badly."

"That's because you keep hanging out with Spirit and have watched all his girlfriends dump him," Azusa told her.

"Hey! I've only had five in the past year!" Spirit defended himself.

Marie chuckled. "Really, Azusa, I'm fine," She assured her friend, her golden eyes shining.

"Attention please, students."

All eyes turned to Celeste, the blue-haired spear Death Scythe that was the teacher of their class. She smiled at them with her brown eyes, and had her hand on the back of a small student in front of her. "I have an announcement to make," She continued. "This young man is Franken Stein, and he's your new classmate. He may be a bit small, but he's already shown extreme promise and interest in his combat abilities in addition to the study of souls, so let's all give him a warm welcome," She smiled.

"Hello, Franken," Echoed throughout the class. Azusa happened to glance over at Marie, and was surprised to see her friend staring at the new student with her jaw hanging open. "Are you okay, Marie?" Asked the raven-haired girl, to which the blonde turned to her friend with an immense grin now plastered on her face.

"I think I'm in love," She beamed.

Azusa stared at her friend. "Not two minutes ago you were telling me you weren't interested in guys!" She hissed.

Marie turned her head back to staring at the new student again. "Yeah, but then _he _walked in," She sighed with a smile.

Spirit leaned over to Azusa. "That guy's got a crazy name. Franken Stein? Isn't that the name of a monster in a book?" He chuckled a little at his tease, not realizing that the student in question had decided to sit directly next to him.

"No, it isn't," He said suddenly, causing Spirit to jump. He stared at the silver-haired boy.

"W-when did you get here?" He stammered.

"My name isn't the same as a monster," Franken continued, "The monster wasn't named 'Frankenstein'. The name was, in fact, the last name of the scientist who created him, Victor Frankenstein. Since my last name is Stein hereditarily, my parents thought it nice to name me after a great scientist."

Spirit grinned awkwardly. "Well, isn't Victor Frankenstein, you now, fictional?" He chuckled, but when Franken smirked at him, he shied back.

"That's what you think," He said.

* * *

"So, Franken-"

"Call me Stein, please. The name 'Franken' is irregular. Besides, 'Stein' makes me seem more professional."

"But you're a kid, not a professional," Retorted Spirit. "Besides, I thought you said you liked the name your parents gave you."

"I do," Replied Stein, "When it's used with my full name. Alone, 'Franken' just sounds like a jumble of sounds. Besides, I'm only on a first-name-basis to those I'm closest to, like my parents."

Spirit huffed, standing next to Stein in the training area after class. Their group of friends sat in the same clearing every day after school to hang out. Today, of course, Marie had invited Stein. Spirit had now known the silver-haired boy for a whole day, and he felt like he should know more about the boy than his name by then.

"So how old are you?" He asked, desperate to know _something _about his new classmate. Instead, Stein replied with another question.

"How old are _you_?" He asked, only infuriating Spirit further.

"I'm fifteen!" He yelled. "Just answer the question!"

"Calm down, Spirit," Muttered Azusa.

Stein chuckled. "I'm four years younger than you," He told Spirit. Spirit stared at the younger boy for a moment, but then began to laugh.

"You're only eleven!" He exclaimed. Instantly Marie blushed; she had just realized she had a crush on someone two years younger than her.

Stein shrugged. "What does that matter?" He asked, getting a little irritated at Spirit for belittling him because of his young age. He stood, walking off. "I'm going home now," He muttered. Marie gasped, getting up to follow him.

"Wait, you can't leave yet!" She called after him. "We're only just getting to know each other!"

Azusa sighed. "There she goes," She said, watching them leave. "Great job, Spirit. Anyway, Marie's gone, so I'm going home with my meister," She said. Spirit frowned a little. He wasn't sure if it was deliberate or not, but everyone always seemed to take any available opportunity to remind him that he didn't have a meister.

"See ya," He mumbled.

Stein glanced back at Marie upon noticing that she was following him. "What is it you want?" He asked curtly. This stopped Marie for a moment, but she quickly gathered her resolve.

"I… Just wanted to ask more about you!" She stated loudly. Stein raised an eyebrow, but then shrugged.

"All right then. But I probably won't answer a lot of your questions," He said as he stopped walking and turned to face her. Marie relaxed a little.

"Well, for starters, um… You're a meister, right?" She asked.

Stein nodded. "Yes. Actually, if I may change the subject a little, I was wondering if you could point me in the direction of a good weapon."

Marie's face lit up. She hadn't found a permanent meister yet, even though the school year was nearly halfway over. She had had a few, but most of them had traded her for another partner because she always had her face in her sketchbook. "Of course," She replied to Stein. "What kind of partner are you interested in? I happen to know a good hammer…"

Stein looked thoughtful, but then shook his head. "Actually, I'm interested in a scythe."

Marie's expression instantly fell. "Oh… A scythe…" She sighed. "Yeah, I know a scythe too…"

Stein began to smile. "You do?"

After seeing his excited face, Marie smiled again. "_If he's happy, I should be_," She thought to herself. "Yeah. Our friend Spirit," She said. However, as soon as she said this, she felt as if she had said something wrong, for Stein frowned again.

"Oh," He said dispassionately. "Him."

"I-I'm sure you'll get along if you give him a chance," Marie replied.

"He's annoying," Stated Stein.

Marie sighed. "Well, he's the only available scythe. Of course, there's that hammer we were talking about…"

Stein shook his head again. "No. It has to be a scythe. It's my destiny," He said with assurance. Marie raised an eyebrow.

"What do you mean?" She asked.

Stein looked her straight in the eyes. "It has to be a scythe," He repeated. "Nothing else would be right. Grim Reapers are meant to have scythes."

Marie only got more confused. "You wanna be like the Grim Reaper?"

Stein narrowed his eyes. "No. I _am _like _a_ Grim Reaper," He snapped with such assurance and ferocity that Marie shied back a little. "There's more than one, and my Dad is one of them."


	2. Alone

**I forgot to mention in the last chapter the meaning of the chapter names X3 "Entrance" is pretty self-explanatory though, isn't it? Stein enters the Academy, and everyone else enters into his life ;) This chapter will be a bit more feely, though. Just warning you :P *I disclaim, I own not Soul Eater***

**Innocent Hearts, Tainted Souls**

**Chapter 2: Alone**

* * *

Marie stared at Stein as if he had just suggested his sister was the moon.

"Your dad," She began slowly, "Is a Grim Reaper?"

Stein nodded in response. "Of course," He said. "I've gone through all the possible explanations to my parents' behavior, and that could be the only solution."

Marie tilted her head. "So… You're not sure?"

Stein began to glare at her. "No, I'm absolutely sure. I know Mom and Dad have a secret; I've heard them talking about it. Plus, I heard from his friends that Dad was amazing when he was a meister, and he always used a scythe. Now I did my research about Reapers, and it said they had white lines in their hair. I never saw them, but I know Dad has hair dye. He's got to be a Reaper, so I've got to be a Reaper."

Marie looked confused for another moment, but then began to smile at the silver-haired boy. "_Something just doesn't add up, but he's convinced his father is a supernatural hero. I'm not going to stop him if it makes him happy._"

"That's amazing, Stein!" She told him. "Have you ever asked him about being a Grim Reaper? Since they live so long, he must have some great stories to tell!"

Stein frowned slightly. "No… I never asked him. Mom and Dad don't really like me talking about Reapers or witches or anything like that, so I kept quiet."

Marie shrugged. "Well, maybe if I asked, they'd answer!" She said, skipping past Stein, who stiffened. "Do your parents live in Death City, or did you move from somewhere? Maybe I can call them, or send a letter!"

"You can't."

The blonde turned to Stein, looking confused. "Why not?" She asked. "I'm sure they'll like me," She smiled.

Stein's expression became hard again as he shook his head. "You just can't. No one can talk to them."

Marie frowned a little. Maybe there was something this boy was ashamed of regarding his family, and that's why he didn't want anyone to talk to them, she thought. Although, he shouldn't be ashamed if his father was a Grim Reaper, right? That couldn't be the reason, she concluded, so she pressed on. "Come on," She told Stein. "Of course I can. Are they in the hospital or something and only you can visit them? If that's it, then I'm really sorry. Or maybe they can't speak! Is that it? Are they mute? I bet I can figure this out, just gimme a minute…"

Stein's fists clenched at his sides. Why did she keep asking his question? Why did she keep clawing at his wound that still needed time to heal as if she was playing a simple game? "You don't get it!" He yelled, startling her. He didn't care. "You can't talk to my parents! No one can! It's not physically possible! They won't ever talk again! They're dead!" He cried.

Marie stared at the boy before her, frozen in shock. It didn't make any sense for them to be dead; he had spoken about them as if they were alive. But after seeing the look on Stein's face, she knew he spoke the truth. There was so much gravity and heartbreak etched in the child's expression that were much more severe than anyone his age should have to bear. Perhaps speaking about them in the present tense was a way to forget about their deaths, to pretend they were still alive, or maybe it was a way to hide it from others. However, that was even more confusing; Marie couldn't understand the desire to hide something painful and therefore to not seek comfort for it.

"Stein…" She began quietly, "I'm… I'm sorry."

The green-eyed boy glanced up at her, then turned his face back towards the ground. "Don't be." His voice was curt, but the pain he felt could still be heard in his tone. "It's not your fault. They were murdered, and you didn't do it."

Marie gasped. "Murdered?" She echoed. "But… Did they catch who did it? Do you know who it was?"

Stein tensed a little again. It sickened him that she seemed to be treating this as a crime novel, rather than a very real circumstance. "Yeah, they caught him," He murmured, "It was someone that I thought I knew."

Marie remained silent, and it wasn't until Stein began to walk away that she suddenly reached out and hugged him.

"I'm here for you, okay?" She whispered.

Stein was silent, confused. He had barely just met this girl, yet she was already trying to comfort him. She was either idiotic, or… Extremely sweet. He was about to pull away, but something about feeling the first hug since the last one his parents gave him caused him to stop.

"_Goodnight, Franken_," They had smiled at him. "_Love you._" They had no idea that they were going to die that night, or that that would be the last time they'd hold their son.

Stein felt the tears began to slip from his eyes. He tried to stop them, but they refused and kept coming. He had resolved to be strong about this, to be cold and to never let anyone see his pain that he would keep bottled up inside. He would, someday. But right now, he was an eleven-year-old boy who was without any family, so he slowly allowed the tears to come. Despite this, he didn't make any motion to hug Marie back, although she didn't seem to mind.

"… Marie?" He said quietly after a few minutes. The tears had stopped, but his voice was still shaky and he sniffed because of his runny nose. "I… Need to go now." He wanted to tell her to never let go, but he knew that wasn't possible. Warm arms couldn't hold him forever; the cold world waited to envelop him instead.

Marie sighed, stepping back. "All right," She said quietly. "I'm going to go home to the girls' dorms. I'll see you tomorrow, okay?" She smiled again. Stein nodded as he began to walk away once more.

At the base of the stairs, a white car waited. "You're late, Franken," Muttered the driver.

"It's Stein," The silver-haired boy corrected monotonously as he slid in the back seat. There was another man in the passenger seat, and a clear plastic window separated the front of the car from the back. He heard them whispering to each other, knowing they were talking about him. He wrapped his arms around himself as he curled up in the seat. "_I just want to go home,_" He thought longingly. "_I don't want supervisors. I want Mom and Dad. I wish last week had never happened._"

But it had. Last week _did _happen. And there was no going back to change it.

Stein had always shown an immense interest in science and finding how things worked, and his parents saw no problem in that. However, when they realized that he wanted to become a meister like his father had been, they forbade any conversation about it. They didn't want him to practice his Soul Perception or weapon-wielding, so he did it alone and in secret. However, the more he twirled a knife before a mirror, the more he had wanted to use it on something living. He wanted to tear something up, to see its blood and discover how it worked. It would be like how he took apart his electronic toys, but more fun.

One day, his parents found him in an alley near their home, on his knees and staring at the mutilated corpse of a stray cat. His hands and clothes were covered in blood, and his right hand held a knife. He turned to his parents, his expression confused. "What did I do?" He asked quietly.

After he was home, bathed, and all the knives in the house were stored in a locked drawer, they sat down with him and talked. He wasn't allowed to touch the knives, and he was to never practice his meister abilities. He said yes, and that was the end of it for a few days. However, his desire to tear things apart only grew as he was denied any contact with weapons. That desire continued to become stronger until it twisted something in his soul, prompting him to get up in the middle of one fateful night, pick the lock on the knife drawer, and take a knife to the room where his parents slept.

"We're here," The driver interrupted Stein before his dark memory could conclude, and he was grateful. The other man opened the door for him, letting Stein step out onto the pavement before that building on the edge of town that was referred to as "The Institution". Stein called it his prison. Of course school built to combat madness and insanity had to have a research facility nearby for the purpose of discovering more about their enemy, that being the darkest corners of the human mind. Stein was put there after the death of his parents. No one said it out loud, but he knew he was a test subject. They wanted to see how his mad mind worked, or how it responded to different situations.

"So, how was your first day of school, Stein?" His therapist asked him, sitting in a metal chair from across the room. Everything was cold and white; the couch, the floor, the walls, everything. Stein hated it. He wanted darker colors. He also hated how everything was uniform and orderly; he wanted at least something to throw off the balance. All this… _Sameness _was irritating him.

"It was okay," He replied quietly, not making eye contact as he pulled at the fabric on the arm of the couch. His therapist sighed.

"Stein, we sent you to the DWMA so you could learn to control your abilities, but also to make friends. Friends would be great for you," He said. Stein shrugged.

"I don't have friends," He said. "I have allies. I made allies."

His therapist smiled. "That's good. Did you find a weapon partner?"

Stein nodded. "Yes. He's a scythe."

"I think a scythe would be a good weapon for you. It requires more focus and control than a knife or something like that, which will help you a lot in the long run."

Stein nodded again, numbly. "I have homework I need to do," He continued, getting his books out of his backpack. He walked over to the desk, setting the books down and getting out his pencil. He glanced upward at his therapist, as if asking if he was going to leave him alone to do his work. Of course, he already knew the answer. They weren't allowed to leave him alone for anything. In in sleep, he constantly had someone posted outside his door to come in if they heard anything suspicious.

After he was done, supper was brought to him. The food was bland.

"Stein," Said his therapist as he watched the boy eat, "Since you had a different situation today, we're concerned about how you might react to it after you sleep for a little while. Therefore, you're going to have to sleep in the jacket again tonight."

Stein stiffened suddenly in horror, dropping his fork. "Please don't," He shook. "Don't put me in that again. I hate it. I hate the padded room."

The therapist sighed. "We know, Stein. But it's for your own good."

Stein's quiet protests became screams soon after as he was stuffed into the jacket. "No!" He cried. "You can't put me in here! Please! I don't want to!" He yelled, but the door began to close after they left him in there wrapped up and helpless. "Let me out!" He protested. "Please! Please…" His body shook with the sobs that threatened to spill over once again. "I just… I just want to go home."

* * *

Spirit sighed as he deposited his schoolbag on the desk in his dorm room. He looked around, seeing belongings that belonged only to him. He didn't have a roommate, nor a meister, so he was alone. He sat down on his bed, putting his head in his hands.

"_That new kid_," He thought to himself, "_He's weird. And a little scary. But, still…_" He flopped backwards on his bed, staring at the ceiling. "_If he's a meister, and I need one… Maybe it could work._" He ran a hand through his hair. "_I'll ask him tomorrow._"

Spirit swiftly hopped off his bed, and then strutted over to the window. Throwing it open, he called out, "Hear that, world? The most powerful scythe in the world is getting a meister, then he's coming to kick some kishin tail! Look out!"

"Albarn, pipe down!" Yelled Kami from the girls' dorms across the street. "I'm trying to do my homework!"

Spirit grinned cheekily at her. "Love ya too, babe!"

Onlookers were amazed at the accuracy and strength of a book being thrown from Kami's window across the street and hitting the redhead scythe straight in the face.

* * *

**We needed comedy relief, Spirit. Thank you for volunteering. LOL The name of this chapter is for Stein's feelings of loneliness, but also to Spirit's loneliness without a meister. See ya next chap, guys ;)**


	3. Purpose

**This chapter will be a bit lighter than the last one, don't worry ;) of course, we've still got Stein battling his maniacal issues, but other than that it's happier LOL *I disclaim, I own not Soul Eater***

**Innocent Hearts, Tainted Souls**

**Chapter 3: Purpose**

* * *

Stein was dropped off at school again the following morning, his schoolbag slung over his shoulder carelessly.

"Franken," His driver leaned out the window and reminded him, "Don't start hurting people, or you can forget about coming here. All right, kid?"

The green-eyed boy turned to shoot him a small glare. "Of course. I'm not insane," He shot back, "And it's Stein." He then proceeded up the stairs, hearing the car drive away, but didn't turn around to look. He didn't care about them. He had only gone there for one day, but the Academy already seemed like more of a home than the Institution could ever hope to be.

"Stein!"

The boy's head shot up, startled to hear his name. At the very top of the stairs, he could see a redhead waving frantically. If he squinted, he could barely make out Spirit's features from that distance.

"_What is wrong with that idiot?_" Stein frowned a little. "_Yesterday he was terrified of me, and today he's greeting me at the door…_"

Spirit grinned down at Stein. "_Act friendly and he'll wanna be your partner_," He told himself. "_And maybe he'll stop looking like he wants to cut me to ribbons…_"

"What are you doing?" Stein called up as he continued his ascent.

"I'm saying hi!"

"Why?"

The redhead paused for a moment. "_Because I want a meister,_" He sighed inwardly.

When the other boy didn't reply, Stein's interest was piqued. He climbed the steps faster, wanting to confront the strange teen and question his motives. Closing his eyes but not stopping, Stein expanded his Soul Perception. While most any developing meister's vision would still be a bit fuzzy when they tried that ability, Stein's was crystal clear, allowing him to easily pick Spirit's soul out of the many around the Academy. His wavelength had begun to waver, showing indecision. The blue-eyed teen wasn't as confident as he had been letting on. However, despite checking over his soul, Stein was still uncertain about what was behind Spirit's current actions. His Soul Perception told him more about the overall personality of someone, not their current emotions or thoughts.

"_I'll have to work on that,_" He resolved as he reached the top. Spirit still stood there, smiling a little and holding a bottle of water.

"That's a big climb for new students," He said. "Want some water?"

Stein took it, albeit a bit skeptically. "Why are you being so nice to me all of a sudden?" He asked. "Yesterday you were annoying in an irritating way. Today you're annoying in an overly nice way. What's going on?"

Spirit raised an eyebrow. "You really have no regard for other peoples' feelings, do you?" He muttered, to which Stein smirked a little.

"Nope. Answer my question."

Spirit crossed his arms. "Do I need an excuse to be nice?"

The silver haired boy nodded as he unscrewed the bottle's lid and took a sip of its water. "With that personality, yes. You aren't nice to people unless you like the person or there's something in it for you. And since you're obviously terrified of me, this must be for your personal gain."

The redhead stared at the younger boy, dumbstruck. "Uh…"

Stein smirked again. "I'm right, aren't I?"

Spirit stared at him for a moment longer, but then chuckled awkwardly. "Yeah, you're right. What gave me away, Sherlock?"

"Nothing Sherlock would've noticed," Stein replied. "Sherlock Holmes didn't have Soul Perception."

Spirit smiled a little. "I see. Anyway, you're right. I do have a way to get something out of this. Turns out I need a meister, and you need a weapon. We can solve both our problems pretty easy."

Stein blinked. "But I don't like you," He deadpanned. Spirit's smile instantly dropped.

"Come ON!" He exclaimed. "I said hi! I got you water! I tried to be nice! What's missing?"

Stein began walking past him. "Like I said, you're annoying," He said. "I bet I can find another weapon partner, anyway. I want a scythe, but if you're the only one, I can find someone else."

Spirit's eyes widened. "Wait!" He said. "You can't just leave! There's some good things about me, too!"

The silver-haired boy shrugged. "I'll believe it when I see it," He mumbled. Suddenly he felt something grab his ankle. Looking down, he saw Spirit down on the ground, clutching his sock.

"Please?" He begged, overly dramatic. "No one else wants to be around me, either! You're the only one who's had a conversation with me and hasn't slapped me in the face yet!"

"Trust me, it'll happen."

"Well, not yet!" Spirit cried. "You're different! You're my last hope to have a meister!"

Stein looked down at Spirit for a moment longer, but then began to grin. "I wanted to see you beg," He chuckled. "Sure, I'll be your meister."

Spirit's eyes widened as he paled. His head whipped around, seeing other students staring at him and giggling. He instantly jumped up, glaring at Stein. "You sadistic jerk!" He yelled at him, indignant. "What the heck was that for?! What if I don't want to be your partner after you what you just pulled?!"

Stein chuckled a little again as he resumed walking into the Academy. "Well, according to what you said a minute ago, I'm your last chance for a meister, so you don't have much of a choice," He said smartly.

The redhead was about to shoot back a sharp retort, but abruptly stopped himself. He sighed. "Fine. You're right," He muttered, following the silver-haired boy. "Let's just get our partnership application filled out and get it over with."

"Of course," Stein said. "But you'll have to lead me to the appropriate school office. I'm still new here."

Spirit allowed himself to smirk. "Oh, right. That, and you're still a kid, making me the older and wiser one of this partnership."

Stein raised an eyebrow. "What makes you think that?" He asked. "You seem pretty easy to mess with," He pointed out.

At that last comment, Spirit leered slightly at his new partner. "Hey! I'm four years older than you, making me wiser!" He snapped.

Stein looked over him. "So?" He questioned. "My weapon-wielding and Soul Perception skills are already advanced for a boy of my age. I'm a prodigy," He pointed out.

Spirit walked ahead of him, rolling his eyes. "Not really. You're basically just a sadistic nut job," He grumbled. Stein smirked again.

"Why thank you."

A short time later, they stood inside the office of the school counselor, handing in their signed papers.

"All done, ma'am," Said Spirit. The woman behind the desk smiled.

"Wonderful! As soon as I get these signed by Lord Death, you'll be official partners!" She said cheerily. Her emotion was in complete contrast to the jaded expressions of Spirit and Stein. "One last question," She said as he put the papers in a file, "Would you two like to dorm together? Because that's an entirely different set of paperwork."

Both boys answered at the same instant, but with different replies.

"No."

"Yes."

The two glanced at each other.

"Why don't you want to be my roommate?" Questioned Spirit.

Stein's expression became impossible to read. "I want to," He said. "I just can't. It's not possible."

Spirit searched his partner's face for information, but upon finding nothing, he sighed. "Fine," He murmured. "We're not staying together, Ms. Davies."

The counselor nodded, aware of the tension between the two. However, Stein obviously didn't want to talk about it, so she said nothing on the subject. "All right, you too," She smiled instead. "By tomorrow, you'll be official partners! Have a nice day!"

"You too, Ms. Davies," Smiled Spirit as the two exited. But after he closed the door, the teen's expression dropped as he turned to confront Stein. "Look, Stein," He said, "I understand if you don't want to, but I think it'd be nice to have you as a roommate. It's a proven fact that partners who dorm together get stronger soul connections quicker. That, and honestly," He sighed, "I'm kinda lonely," He admitted. "I've got that one big room to myself. I've said before that you're the only person who can stand me. No one else wants to share a room with me, Stein. I thought that maybe you'd…"

"I can't," Stein interrupted him, facing away. "I'm sorry, Spirit, but I can't. I'm not allowed."

Spirit frowned. "By who, Stein? It can't be your parents."

Stein froze to the spot. His eyes grew wide in shock.

"Don't try and deny it, Stein. Marie's not the best person to spill your secrets to, not unless you don't mind them being told to her friends," Spirit pointed out. "But she didn't ask an important question, and you didn't answer on your own, which makes me suspicious: Who do you live with?"

Stein stared forward, not turning around to face the teen. "It's none of your business," He whispered. "_He can't find out that I'm staying in the Institution_," He thought frantically. "_No one can. If they find that out, they'll put the pieces together. They'll figure out that I murdered Mom and Dad. And then I'll be even more rejected than I am now_."

Spirit watched him closely, silent for a moment. Then he shook his head and sighed. "Fine, Stein," He said. "I don't care all that much. You can tell me when you're ready," He muttered, walking past him and to the classroom. "Come on; I got the pass from Ms. Davies to tell Teach why we were absent from our first class, but we're gonna be late for the second one if we don't hurry."

Stein blinked, watching his partner walk away. He shook his head once to clear it. "O-okay," He stuttered before running to catch up.

* * *

A crash sounded as the two sisters fought once again.

"You do not sneak into my room and try to steal my poisons!" Screeched the younger, her multicolored, long braid flying around as he tried to pierce the elder with its barb.

The elder chuckled, sidestepping every attack. "Then you should keep them hidden better," She smirked. "Or at least locked away."

Their mother watched them from across the dark room. "Shaula," She snapped. "Stop throwing your attacks haphazardly. They're not hitting her at all."

Shaula fixed her mother in a glare, unknowingly leaving herself open. She realized this suddenly, dodging just in time before the large black vector knocked her legs out from under her. Instead, the arrow went flying past her, headed towards a spider's web in the corner.

"No!" Their mother exclaimed, instantly shooting a flame from her hand that burned the arrow before it could reach the spider. Her blonde daughter glared at her.

"What was the point of that, Mother?" She growled. "There's no need to burn my attacks!"

Her mother fixed her in an equally ferocious glare. "We've been over this," She snarled. "You are never to hurt or smash a spider. They could be one of the vessels that holds a piece of your sister."

Shaula rolled her eyes. "Oh yes; the golden and perfect first child. Mummy's favorite," She sneered.

The blonde chuckled a little, darkly. "It's hard to tell sometimes," She pointed out as their mother cupped the tiny arachnid in her hands protectively. "She never does anything to help her. She's just been sitting here and sulking for the last eight hundred years," She mocked.

Their mother glared at her again. "We all know that to attempt a rescue would be a suicide mission," She shot back. "That would mean bringing down the Reaper or reviving the Kishin, and neither would end well. No, it's safer to wait until the time is right."

A plan began to form in the blonde's mind. She had always been the most cunning of all three sisters, and she was always willing to sacrifice others in her never-ending hunt for more power.

"_Perhaps if I send her after the Reaper,_" She thought, "_She could be destroyed, and I'll be free. I won't be confined to this manor anymore, no longer a mere apprentice to my hag of a mother,_" She grinned. "But it would be a noble effort, Mother," She said out loud. "Besides, you've been storing up power for centuries, practicing and training your skills, while the Reaper's merely been wasting away in that school."

Shaula's eyes widened, unsuspecting of her sister. "Mother, she's right!" She exclaimed. "Let me help you! I want the Reaper dead just as much as you do!"

Their mother glanced at them, her two younger daughters. Her eldest was in hiding for as long as The Reaper lived, and she knew that. Neither could live while the other survived. She wanted her daughter back; she was tired of having to deal with her other foolish children without the eldest to keep them in line instead of her. Bringing the Reaper to the ground couldn't be that hard, could it? Not even Death could stand up to a mother desperate to protect her child. Slowly, she began to smirk.

"No, Shaula," She said, setting the spider down. "I shall do that alone. Your sister's right; Arachne needs to be freed," She grinned as flames began to circle her arms, and her fire-orange irises started to glow with eerie light. "With fire that stings sharper than the venom of the spider, the snake, and the scorpion combined, even the Grim Reaper has no choice but to fear the mightiest of beasts. We have been a mere story for far too long."

The blonde smirked. "_May you burn in your own fire, worm._"

An immense roar sounded from being her as one of her mother's pets bellowed a battle cry, flames pouring from its gaping black jaws.

"The Dragon shall rise to burn the Reaper!" Proclaimed Eris Gorgon.

* * *

**Ooh, a villain :3 Of course we had to have one to show off Spirit and Stein's skills. This should be fun LOL The chapter name's from Spirit's new purpose as Stein's weapon, and Eris' new purpose to kill Lord Death. That should end well for her... Maybe ;) See ya next chap!**


	4. New

**Anybody get the Harry Potter reference in the last chapter? Digital cookies if you did ;) *I disclaim* I own not Soul Eater. Or Harry Potter, for that matter.**

**Innocent Hearts, Tainted Souls**

**Chapter 4: New**

* * *

"Oh, so you two are partners now?" Smiled Marie as she sat across from Stein at the lunch table. "That's great!" However, inwardly she was brooding over the fact that Stein hadn't chosen her. "_I wanted him to be happy, sure,_" She thought to herself, "_But is it bad to want to be happy, too?_"

Stein nodded, not saying anything as he ate the cafeteria food.

"Well, it's gotta go through Lord Death first," Corrected Spirit. "He's got to sign our papers, or something like that."

Azusa nodded. "Of course he does. He's in charge, and he's got to make sure everything is orderly. Kids can't just decide they're partners when they want to; it's got to be officially approved," She pointed out. "Still, I think you two did something very rash," She scolded a little.

Spirit raised an eyebrow. "Eh? What's that about?" He asked.

The raven-haired teen rolled her eyes. "You didn't even check to see if your Soul Wavelengths were compatible before teaming up," She snapped, cutting into her meat as she talked. "For all you know, his shaft could burn you the first time you touch him, Stein."

Stein glanced over at her. "At least we can stand each other. That's the first step," He replied. "After that, we sort through each other's quirks and discover what we can live with and what has to stop. We change each other so that we like each other more."

Marie giggled awkwardly. "I'm not sure that's quite how friendship works, Stein…"

"It's fine," Spirit assured them. "I'm sure we'll find something in common, right, buddy?" He grinned, throwing his arm around Stein's shoulders.

Without even a glance at his partner, Stein muttered, "You're still annoying."

Spirit's eye twitched for a moment, and then he pulled back, muttering. "So? I don't like you either, pint-sized lunatic…"

Marie giggled again at their display. "They're already such great friends," She said.

Azusa shot her friend a sideways glance. "I'm going to quote you and say that I'm not sure that's quite how friendship works."

The rest of the school day passed uneventfully, but when the small group gathered after school, Stein barely spoke a word. Marie asked him once or twice what was wrong, but the boy simply told her that nothing was amiss, albeit unconvincingly. However, they all knew they weren't going to get a better answer out of him, so they left it at that.

While the other three were still talking, Stein left wordlessly. Spirit noticed this out of the corner of his eye, and whipped around in surprise.

"Hey! Where are you going?" He asked.

Stein stopped for a moment, not knowing how to answer that question. He could say 'home', but he wasn't going home. He was going to the Institution, and he couldn't think of anywhere that was more different from home than that place. So what could he say? After a long period of pause, in which all three of others' suspicions grew, the silver-haired boy lied and replied with his first answer.

"Home," He muttered, walking again. Spirit opened his mouth as if to ask another question, but sighed and stopped.

"Fine," He said. "See you tomorrow, right, Stein?"

The younger boy nodded as he turned a corner leading to the front of the building and was gone. The redhead sighed, sitting back down. "Real considerate guy, ain't he?" He chuckled sarcastically. "Anyway Azusa, I need some help with this homework assignment before I go. Think you can lend a hand?"

The other girl sighed in exasperation and nodded, crossing her legs and straightening up her pleated skirt. "Fine. What do you need?"

Spirit pulled his backpack around, digging through it. "Well, I'm supposed to research famous weapons, and I think Excalibur would be a good choice… Hold on," He stopped suddenly, pulling out a book on Soul Study. He stared at the cover for a moment, and then opened up to the first page.

Marie's eyes widened. "Look, Azusa! Spirit's reading! What's wrong with him?" He said jokingly, but the glassed girl looked genuinely confused.

"Are you okay, Spirit?" She asked. "That's a normal textbook. You never read your textbooks."

The redhead turned the book around so the two girls could see. Written inside the front cover was a handwritten note.

_This textbook is property of Franken Stein._

_I am never careless with my books, so this textbook is either stolen property or has been pried off of my dead body. If this was stolen, I will find whoever stole it and/or who is currently in possession of it and use force to get my book back. I am not merciful. If this was found with blood on it, I've been brutally murdered. In that case, please locate my funeral and lay my book in my final resting place. Thank you._

"He's a pleasant guy, isn't he?" Azusa deadpanned, staring at the text incredulously.

"I must've accidently picked up his schoolbook with mine," Spirit sighed. "Great."

Marie sat on her knees, looking concerned. "He must've been distracted all through today," She murmured.

Spirit raised an eyebrow. "What makes you say that?" He asked.

The blonde frowned. "He said in his note that he's never careless with his books, yet he left this one and didn't even notice the weight missing from his backpack. He seems like the type of guy who'd normally notice that, but he didn't, meaning something was distracting him enough that he left beind something that was precious to him," She said quietly. "I hope he's all right…"

Spirit smiled a little. "Hey, don't worry," He told her. "I'll get his book back to him, no problem. Your boyfriend will be a happy camper again soon."

A blush rapidly spread across Marie's face. "W-what are you talking about?" She exclaimed. "S-Stein's not my boyfriend!"

The redhead chuckled as he stood. "Maybe not, but I know a crush when I see one," He smirked, walking off. "See ya later, guys."

Azusa nodded, waving casually, while Marie buried her burning face in her hands.

"Is my crush really that obvious…?" She whimpered to herself.

It didn't take long for Spirit to get home and pull all the books out of his backpack. He checked to make sure he hadn't taken anything else of Stein's, and after determining that the Soul Study book was the only one, he dropped all of the other books back in his bag before inspecting the cover of Stein's.

"_I could wait until tomorrow to give it to him,_" He thought, "_But I think that we have assigned reading tonight…_ _He'll want his book back,_" He sighed. "_But he never told me where he lives… Maybe there's a clue somewhere in here._" He inspected the book's covers, looking for anything marked "return to this address" or something along the lines of that, but of course Stein wasn't that helpful. He flipped the pages through his fingers dispassionately, unable to find anything of use. However, when he shook the book once in frustration, a business card slipped out of the jacket cover. Raising an eyebrow, he knelt down and picked up the paper. It was marked all over in red marker and holes were punched through it in a few places, as if it was what Stein took his rage out on when he got frustrated. However, an address was still detectable. There was a phone number as well, but what stared Spirit right in the face were the large bold words written on the top of the card.

_Death City Mental Institution_

* * *

"Great," Muttered Stein as he dug through his backpack. "I must've left my book at the school. We had an assignment tonight," He grumbled, leaning face-first onto the desk in front of him. He then glanced up at the small ground-level window which was his only source of natural light in the cold room. It was too high for him to reach, and every piece of furniture in the room was bolted to the floor to prevent him from trying to climb out. And then, without warning, a redhead bent down and peered in the window, shocking Stein to fall out of his chair.

"Franken?" Asked his supervisor from outside the door upon hearing the noise. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine!" He called back, standing up as he stared at the face of his weapon partner in the window. The latter grinned, picking the lock after his finger shifted into a tiny scythe's blade. After that, he pried the window open.

"I came to give you your book back," Smiled Spirit, laying down in the grass so he could reach the window easier. "Don't know what I would've done if you stayed anywhere but the ground floor," He grinned, but when he glanced down at Stein, he saw that the younger boy looked devastated. His lip was even quivering. Spirit's eyes widened. "Hey. What's wrong?"

Stein turned his face away. "You figured it out," He murmured, shaking a little but keeping his voice low so his supervisor wouldn't figure out what was going on. "You figured out where I live. You're right; I am a lunatic. So now what are you going to do? Go tell Azusa and Marie? Have me expelled?" He whispered. "Madness has no place in the DWMA. The school's very purpose is to destroy it. I've… I've _murdered _people, Stein. I don't belong there."

Spirit's brow furrowed. "Don't you ever think that, Stein."

The silver-haired boy's head snapped up at his partner's words.

"You belong at the Academy just as much as every other student that goes there, and more so than a few of them," He insisted. "You're a strong kid. You'll be a great meister."

Stein stared at him for another moment, but then frowned. "What'll you do with my secret, then?" He asked. "What if anyone asks about me?"

Spirit smiled a little again. Seeing his partner in this state had changed the elder's opinion of him. Suddenly he was less of a sadistic freak and more of a scared, lonely boy that needed a friend. At that moment, the redhead swore to himself that he'd be that friend. "I promise I'll keep your secret. I won't tell anybody," He said. Stein's eyes widened as he continued. "If anyone asks about you, I'll tell them that you're a great meister and a cool guy."

After a moment, Stein did something surprising. He smiled. "You barely know me," He said quietly. "You don't know all that stuff."

Spirit grinned. "But I'm sure it's true," He assured the younger boy. He looked down at him again with kind blue eyes. "Do yourself a favor, eh Stein?"

Stein tilted his head to the side like a confused puppy. "What's that?"

The redhead beamed down at him. "Try harder to convince your higher-ups that living at the dorms would be better for you. Being around friendly people and all that," He said.

The silver-haired boy smiled again and nodded determinedly. "Right," He promised.

Spirit grinned again, but then realization showed in his eyes. "Oh, right. I almost forgot," He said, reaching behind himself for a moment before he turned back around and handed the book to Stein. "You left your book in class."

Stein reached his hand up, standing on his toes to reach his partner's arm that was stretched down. He took the book in one hand, and then before Spirit could retract his arm, shook his hand with the other.

"Thanks, partner," He smiled. Spirit smiled back.

"Anytime," He grinned, and then added jokingly, "Pint-sized lunatic."

Stein smirked. "Annoying redhead."

Spirit smirked as well while he closed the window again. "I'll see you tomorrow in school," He said, his voice sounding muffled as he stood, so that Stein only saw his ankles and boots.

"Count on it," Stein replied as he watched his partner's boots walk away. He smiled, simply watching the grass outside his window before sitting back down at his desk.

"_I don't have friends,_" His own words echoed, "_I have allies_."

"_Well maybe it's time that changed_," He told himself with resolve. "_Maybe someone like me can make friends._"

"Stein?"

Stein's head turned to the doorway as his therapist stepped in. "We've come upon a revolutionary idea to help you."

The boy nodded. "That's good, because so did I," He began, wanting to ask about moving to the boys' dorms at the Academy, but he was cut off.

"Yes yes, wonderful Stein. But let's try the professionally-engineered idea first, and then we'll hear you out," He said. Somehow, Stein doubted his statement as he was led by his therapist's hand on his back.

The older man took him out the door and down a series of halls. Stein looked around, trying to get a sense of what was behind each door, but they passed by too quickly. He knew that to close his eyes and use his Soul Perception would be frowned upon, so he merely sighed and walked on.

When they finally stopped, his therapist opened a door on their right, revealing to Stein what seemed to be a lab room.

"Hello, Franken," Smiled a scientist, who sat before an apparent examination table. The silver-haired boy instantly stiffened.

"You're not doing experiments on me, are you?" He asked tentatively, to which the scientist chuckled a little. However, that instantly helped Stein to relax. It wasn't an evil chuckle; she sounded friendly. She didn't look malicious either, with soft brown skin, gentle green eyes and sleek black hair.

"Of course not," She assured him.

"We're going to try something different this time," His therapist explained, prompting Stein to look up at him again. "Well, we've noticed how you like to cut things up, but your methods are haphazard and sloppy."

Stein narrowed his eyes. "Thanks for the compliment," He muttered.

"What we decided," Said the scientist, "Is that maybe if you learned to cut with control, that in turn it would help you control the desire to cut things up in the first place," She explained as she set a dead frog on the examination table. The therapist held his nose at the smell, but Stein was oddly intrigued. As he stepped closer, the scientist handed him a scalpel and smiled.

"So I'm going to teach you about dissection."

* * *

**Teaching Stein about dissection sounds like a great idea, doesn't it? It certainly won't lead to a sadistic obsession in the future LOL The chapter's name is for the new partners, Stein and Spirit, and also for Stein's new experience with dissection. See ya next chap!**


	5. Home

**Innocent Hearts, Tainted Souls**

**Chapter 5: Home**

* * *

"Good job, Franken. You did excellently," Smiled Dr. Jones.

"It's Stein," The boy replied, but he smiled a little as well as he looked upon the dissected frog. He wanted to ask if he could take more things apart, but he assumed that his therapist would count that as "violent tendencies" and keep him from ever doing dissection again.

The scientist Jones stood from her seat. "And I've got something for you," She told him as she reached in a drawer, before pulling out a small and blue flat box. She then held it out to Stein, who accepted it slowly. "Go ahead; open it," She encouraged him. Stein nodded, lifting the lid of the tiny case. As he did so, his eyes widened in wonder. "It's your own dissection kit," Beamed Dr. Jones.

"Doctor Jones!" Exclaimed Stein's therapist. "As Franken's therapist, I must advise against this! He cannot be in the possession of such sharp and dangerous objects!"

Dr. Jones shot him a sideways glance. "Honestly, Doctor Kelvin," She muttered. "He's come a long way. Besides, these are scientific instruments, and he'll only use them for that purpose. Right, Stein?"

The silver-haired boy nodded vigorously, but his therapist still wasn't convinced, and his next words stung.

"He murdered his parents with a steak knife. I don't trust that boy with anything," He muttered.

Stein stared at him, dropping his box to the floor in shock. The pieces fell out of the open kit and clattered to the floor.

"You're scaring him, Kelvin!" Scolded Dr. Jones, kneeling down onto the floor to pick up the various instruments. "It's okay, Stein," She said, turning to look up at the child's frightened face. "I trust you with these." The boy could only nod as she handed the box back to him. "Doctor Kelvin," She began as she turned back to the therapist, "I suggest that, now that he has these 'dangerous objects', you take some extra care to ensure that he stays calm. Now, I'm absolutely sure that you and your studies are not keeping him calm." She snapped.

Noticing his chance to add his input to someone who cared, Stein seized the opportunity. "I want to go live in the boys' dormitory at the DWMA," He said quickly. "I have a friend there who wants to be my roommate."

Dr. Jones nodded. "That sounds like a great idea," She agreed.

"But…" Dr. Kelvin tried to get a word in edgewise, but the scientist cut him off again.

"No buts, Kelvin," She said. "It's not good for this poor boy to stay here."

"But he needs his examinations!" Dr. Kelvin exclaimed quickly. "We need to observe him and keep eyes on him!"

Stein thought fast, seeing that they were losing the argument. "I'll stay the weekends here!" He interjected suddenly. "You can observe me all you want then, but I want to stay at the school during school days." He would do whatever it took to spend as much time away from the Institution as possible, even if that meant coming back every week. He would be spending more time at the dorms anyway.

Dr. Kelvin paused, considering Stein's request. Hope began to glow within Stein's soul as he looked up at his therapist pleadingly. After a moment that seemed like an eternity, Kelvin sighed.

"All right, Franken," He muttered.

The boy's face erupted into a grin. "Thank you thank you thank you!" He cheered, hugging Dr. Jones in joy. She laughed at him, ruffling his hair.

"We still have to get the paperwork and everything filled out for your transfer!" Kelvin mentioned loudly. "You probably won't be able to move until tomorrow evening, at the earliest!"

Stein heard him, but didn't acknowledge it. His therapist's voice and opinions were as insignificant as the buzzing of a gnat. He was going home, to the Academy. That was all that mattered.

* * *

Spirit smiled and waved at Stein as he walked into class. "Hey!" He called. Stein smiled as well, waving a little as he climbed the steps to their seats. "So what'd your people say about moving?" Asked the redhead.

"What people?" Asked Azusa from the other side of Spirit while Stein sat down. The silver-haired boy stiffened a little, but his scythe chuckled.

"He knows what I'm talking about. We're partners," He grinned cheekily. The raven-haired girl rolled her eyes again and resumed talking with Marie.

"So what did they say?" Spirit repeated to Stein, quieter.

Stein smiled at him. "They said I can move!" He said excitedly. "I just have to stay there every weekend, and I move tomorrow."

Spirit beamed. "That's great!" He said. "Tomorrow's Wednesday, so you can stay for a few days before you have to go back."

The young meister nodded. "I can't wait to get out of that place."

Meanwhile, Marie tried to watch Stein inconspicuously. Ever since Spirit had pointed out her "obvious" crush yesterday, she had been even more dramatic than ever. She was sure that if her attraction to him was apparent, that Stein would react to it. However, she was beginning to panic over her curiosity over whether his response would be positive or not.

"They're speaking quietly," She whimpered to Azusa. "What if they're talking about me? What if they're agreeing on how childish I am? What if Spirit is convincing Stein to dump me for someone prettier? What do you think Stein considers pretty? Should I cut my hair? Ditch the ponytail?"

Azusa sighed. "Pull yourself together, Marie," She mumbled. "You're rambling again."

"But what if he doesn't think I'm pretty?" She said, looking down at herself. She wore her normal outfit of black shorts with a white belt, a yellow blouse, black sweater, and her long blonde hair was pulled up in a high ponytail. "What if he likes distinguished girls like you, Azusa? With your fancy pleated skirt and uniform top…"

The raven-haired girl shook her head. "Look Marie, I am absolutely without-a-doubt positive that Stein DOES NOT have a crush on me. Okay? I don't think he really has a crush on anybody. He's only eleven, remember? At that age boys still think girls are gross, and he's not looking for a girlfriend just yet."

Her blonde friend's lip began to quiver. "He t-thinks I'm… Gross?" She sniveled.

Azusa blinked for a moment. "… That was the wrong thing to say, wasn't it?" She mumbled. It was then that Marie buried her head in her textbook and bawled pathetically. Azusa winced. "You're going to get your book all wet, Marie."

Stein happened a glance at the blonde upon hearing her muffled cries. "What's wrong with Marie?"

Spirit grimaced, knowing full well what the reason behind such an outburst would be, but he didn't know how Stein would take news like that. "Uh… I dunno. She's always dramatic," He lied. Stein could tell it was a bluff, but he didn't question any further.

"All right class," Called Celeste as she walked into the classroom. "Settle down, please. Sorry I'm late, but there was an urgent teacher's meeting regarding a threat to the academy."

Whispered conversations began spreading across the room like wildfire, each conversation quietly discussing their theories on the threat faster than their teacher could explain.

"Anyway," She said, louder in order to not be drowned out by the multiplied murmurings, "The threat comes from an ancient and pyrokinetic witch. In order to combat her best, we need to have a good understanding of her. So, for starters, a little vocabulary. Who can define 'pyrokinetic'?"

Three hands immediately shot up from the desks, those of Stein, Azusa, and the girl Spirit continually flirted with.

"Yes, Kami?" Celeste pointed at the blonde girl.

"To be pyrokinetic means to have the ability to create and manipulate fire with your mind and without the use of any physical lighters," She explained.

Celeste nodded. "Correct."

Spirit gave Kami a thumbs-up from a few desks away and managed to catch her eye. She merely rolled her eyes and turned back to Celeste, but Spirit beamed as he turned back to Stein.

"She didn't glare at me this time!" He whispered excitedly. "She's getting to like me!"

Stein raised an eyebrow. "If you say so…"

* * *

After lunch they had training, where Stein wielded Spirit for the first time.

"You ready for this?" The redhead asked his meister as they faced each other. "I might burn you, like Azusa said."

Stein shook his head. "I doubt that," He said. "I think we're pretty compatible. We're friends, right?"

Spirit smiled. "Yeah," He said. "Friends." With that, he transformed and flew into Stein's waiting hands. The younger boy stared in wonder at the enchanted glow that his partner shone with until his appearance shifted into the black metal of his scythe form. "Am I too heavy for you?" He asked.

Stein lifted Spirit up and down once experimentally. "No," He said. "Besides, the more we work on our compatibility, the lighter you'll get. And no burns either," He stated, swinging him around once. However, the silver-haired boy was unused to the momentum. With a small cry of alarm, he fell to the ground.

"That was good," Spirit encouraged.

"That was terrible," Stein huffed as he stood. "I fell on my face."

"But it was your first time wielding a scythe at all," Added the scythe. "Try again. You'll get it; just remember the weight and momentum."

The meister nodded again, attempting to swing him in more controlled motions. Soon, students began to stare at the young boy who, despite being new to the scythe and not very fluid in his motions, was swinging Spirit around with extreme speed. He approached the training dummies after a moment, and very swiftly had them all sliced in half in one swing.

"That's great, Stein!" Exclaimed Spirit as he shifted back into his human form after an hour of training. "I've never seen anyone do so well on their first try!"

Stein smiled a little at him, but was panting as sweat dripped down his face. "Thanks," He managed to say between gasps of breath.

Watching them from the edge of the outdoor training ground was a woman. She had red hair that went to her shoulders, and a single braid that stemmed from it that flowed over her left shoulder. Her dress was black and appeared to be made entirely of snakeskin, and she wore long gloves that shifted to different shades of red, orange, and yellow in the sunlight like flames. Her fire-orange irises followed every move Stein made.

"_So this is the Reaper's army_," She thought to herself. "_A pathetic academy of worthless children. But that boy,_" She thought of Stein. "_There's something different. Something off._" She turned around, walking away. "_I'll wait to see if he proves to be a barrier in the way of my plans. If so, I'll just have to kill him_," Muttered Eris.

* * *

The following afternoon, after another dissection, Stein had his suitcase packed. He hadn't been able to bring much from his house to the Institution, just a few sets of clothes and some necessities, so packing was quick and easy.

"Are you ready, Stein?" Asked Dr. Jones as she peeked into his room. The boy nodded.

"Very ready," He said eagerly. "I want to get out of here. No offense; you're really nice, Doctor Jones. But you're one of the only ones."

Dr. Jones chuckled. "No offense taken. I'd want to get out too if I was in your position, Stein. Now, you've got your dissection kit?"

The boy nodded. "In the top of my bag," He said, but then frowned a little. "But what am I going to dissect without you to give me things to take apart?"

"You'll be back here every weekend, remember? I'll give you things then," Dr. Jones said as they walked out the door and to her car.

For the entire drive, Stein watched the city fly past the car's window. Around every turn he looked for the boys' dorms, but they were nowhere to be seen. The ride seemed to go on forever, but the young meister's excitement never dwindled. They reached the dorms after a half hour's drive, and Stein instantly jumped out of the car with his suitcase.

"Bye-Doctor-Jones-see-you-Saturday!" He called rapidly, rushing inside. She laughed and waved.

"See you later, Stein!" She beamed.

Stein's enthusiastic young eyes took in every detail of the glamorous lobby of the boy's dorms building. He turned in a full circle to get the full effect.

"You seem happy," Noted an older man as he approached Stein. The boy stopped spinning, slightly dizzy as he shook the man's hand. "I'm the head of the dorms. Nice to meet you; we were told that you were coming."

"Can you tell me where Spirit Albarn's dorm is?" He asked quickly. "I'm supposed to be his roommate; I'm his meister," He said.

The head of the dorms laughed. "Impatient, aren't you?" He said. "Sure, I know where Albarn is. I'll take you to him," He smiled.

Stein nodded, following him fervently.

The two went up the stairs to the second floor, turning to the right and then to the left before they stopped at room 113.

"Here's your room," Smiled the head of the dorms, but Stein had already bolted inside. He looked around, seeing Spirit's things on the desk, and his aforementioned roommate on his bed snoring loudly in an afternoon nap. The silver-haired boy set his suitcase on his new bed, his motions suddenly very slow and peaceful. He smiled at the head of the dorms.

"Thank you," He said. The head nodded, closed the door, and left.

Stein turned in a full circle once more, and then flopped backwards next to his suitcase with a happy sigh.

"I'm home," He smiled.

* * *

**I thought I'd name Stein's therapist (whom I don't like) after Lord Kelvin, who I don't like XD Anyone who knows his origin gets a digital cookie. Spirit's room number is for how many chapters are in the Soul Eater manga ;)**


	6. Time

**Innocent Hearts, Tainted Souls**

**Chapter 6: Time**

* * *

"Should we try that exercise again?" Stein asked, holding his scythe partner up to face him.

The blue-eyed teen's reflection appeared one the surface of his blade, shaking his head with slumped shoulders. "No. I'm tired. I wanna go home," He whined.

Stein sighed. "You've barely done anything," He mumbled, but set the scythe down anyway. The black weapon's form almost instantly shifted back into his human appearance, sitting and stretching his arms.

"Keeping that form is hard, you know!" Spirit protested. "Besides, I've gotta amplify your soul's wavelength while you're swinging me around. That takes energy."

His meister chuckled. "Well, I'm the one doing the swinging," He said. "And that's hard too. But you've gotten lighter."

The redhead chuckled. "Well, I should have by now. We've been training together for the last month, after all," He said as he stood. He glanced over at Stein, a smirk spreading across his face as he saw the sweat dripping off the boy's forehead. "Of course, kids like you get exhausted really easy. I'm surprised you haven't fainted yet."

Stein rolled his eyes. "I'm not a kid," He mumbled, turning around to walk back to the dorms. "I'm almost twelve; my birthday's in a few days, remember?"

Spirit laughed, ruffling the younger boy's hair. "You still won't even be a teenager, shorty."

Stein narrowed his eyes, crossing his arms with a huff. "I swear to Death that if I'm not taller than you when I reach my full height, I'm chopping off your head to make you shorter," He mumbled. Spirit didn't say anything after that; he never did want to figure out which of Stein's threats were just bluffs and which ones actually meant murder. He looked around frantically for something to distract himself from worrying about his latest death threat, and his eyes fell upon Kami from across the clearing.

"Hey Stein," He said quickly, "I'm gonna go talk to Kami, 'kay? You head home. See ya, bye!" He told him before immediately running off. Stein rolled his eyes again, but he couldn't resist a smile. He had seen Spirit try to flirt with Kami every day for the past month, and each attempt had ended with a thick book embedded in the redhead's skull. Still, the Japanese blonde did seem to be warming up to him, if that meant hitting her admirer with slightly thinner books.

Stein reached the dorms shortly, seeing as they weren't far from the Academy, and headed inside. Once he reached his room, he set his schoolbag next to his chair and sat down. He proceeded to pull his textbooks out of his bag, along with some paper and a pencil, and began working on his homework diligently. It was fifteen minutes later when Spirit walked in, swaying from side to side as if he had been spinning in circles for the past hour, before flopping on his bed and sighing contentedly. Stein glanced at him for a moment, but quickly turned back to his work.

"You're too young to be drunk, Spirit," He mumbled.

"That's not it," The redhead smiled at the ceiling. "I asked Kami on a date again."

Stein shrugged. "That's nothing new," He said jadedly. "You do that about every day."

"Yeah, but this time was different!" Spirit exclaimed, jumping up before twirling in circles excitedly. "This time she said yes!"

Stein paused for a moment. He had never guessed that Kami would actually agree to date his weapon; she didn't exactly seem to like him at all, unless threatening to throw someone off the DWMA's roof whenever they talked to you was a normal profession of love. If so, his parents had been odd.

"Are you sure?" Stein asked. "You're not just delusional? I remember one time that you woke me up in the middle of the night to tell me that she had agreed to marry you. It took until four a.m. to assure you that it was just a dream and you had been in bed the whole time."

Spirit paused to glare at him a little. "Of course I'm sure, Stein. I really asked Kami on a date, and she really said yes," He snapped. However, he couldn't stay angry for long. He was still immensely overjoyed at the prospect of Kami going out with him. His face split into a grin again as he resumed his twirling. "I'm taking her to the super-romantic bistro in Plague Square!"

"Why is everything in this city named after a cause or effect or death…?" Stein wondered quietly to himself, turning in his chair so he was sitting on it backwards and facing his partner. "So I assume that you have enough money to pay for that gourmet restaurant, right?"

Spirit shook his head, which was a bad idea while he was joyously spinning in circles, for the extra motion caused him to fall to the floor and hit his head on the bedside table. Stein didn't even flinch at the sound of the crash, but stood to help his groaning partner to his feet.

"Ow…" Moaned Spirit, rubbing his head as he accepted Stein's hand and stood. "Thanks, Stein. Anyway, I don't have the money quite yet, but I plan on getting a job to pay for it."

The silver-haired boy nodded, going to sit back in his chair and resume his homework. "That's a good idea. I know the guy who owns the coffee shop near the dorms likes to hire Academy students. When exactly is this date?"

Spirit grinned again. "Tonight," He said. Stein blinked.

"There is no way you can get a job and get paid before tonight," He said curtly. Spirit froze, his expression slowly going from excited, to confused, to knowing, to horrified, and then finally to utter despair.

"But I promised her the bistro!" He cried. "If I don't take her there, she'll think I'm a dishonest cheapskate!"

"She'd be right," Stein deadpanned, turning back to his work.

Spirit looked on the verge of tears. "But I don't want her to reject me totally; not after I've got this far!" He wailed. He collapsed on the floor, pulling on Stein's shirt. "You've gotta help me, Stein! You've got money left!"

The younger boy barely glanced at his weapon. "That's because I didn't spend all my money on action figures," He pointed out.

"Come on, they were special edition collectibles!" Spirit protested. "Help your weapon out, Stein! That's what partners are for!"

Stein was silent for a minute, not averting his eyes from his schoolbook. Slowly, however, his resolve crumbled after he looked down at his partner's pathetic and sniveling expression. The silver-haired boy sighed.

"Fine," He muttered. Spirit instantly jumped up, his mood having swung around again.

"Thanks a lot!" He beamed. "I owe you big time!"

"That you do," Grumbled Stein. "You're getting that job anyway to pay me back, understood?"

The redhead nodded as he pulled Stein's wallet from his drawer. "Yep. Of course. See ya!" He said rapidly as he ran out the door. Stein glanced at his watch, and then rolled his eyes.

"He does realize that it's not even four o'clock yet, right?" He sighed to himself, but couldn't help a smile as he turned back to his work. "That idiot."

* * *

Spirit still hadn't come back by eight. Stein worked persistently on his homework, wanting to try and earn extra credit for this research project. It was slow going; the research was extensive. However, until he began writing down notes, Stein didn't realize that his hand was shaking. He raised an eyebrow, pondering this, when suddenly he realized that his focus on schoolwork had been preventing the thoughts that came with the shaking. But now that he was distracted, they flooded into his head. He instantly realized that the shaking was a side effect of the desire to tear something apart, to see it bleed, to _dissect._

He shook his head in an attempt to clear it, sitting on his hands to try and stop the shaking. "_No!_" He cried at this thoughts. "_Go away! Just wait a few days until I go back to the Institution on Saturday, and then I can dissect something with Doctor Jones. I can wait to dissect until then, right?_" Even as he thought this, he found himself standing from his seat, taking gradual and stumbling steps towards his suitcase where he kept his dissection kit. "_Stop that!_" He wanted to scream at himself, but his mad thoughts began to overlap his sane ones. "_Maybe… I can just do a little something,_" He thought, his tenacity withering as he pulled out his kit. "_Something no one will notice, like a wild animal. Yeah, I can dissect that… That'll hold me off until I go see Doctor Jones,_" He assured himself, stepping out the door while he stuffed the kit in his pocket.

It didn't take him long to get outside. The boys' dorms had had a rabbit problem lately in their vegetable garden, so one of those was easy enough to find. Using skills he had learned in his last month as a meister, he snuck up on the animal before springing upon it and pinning it to the ground. "In a way, being a meister is like being a predator," He murmured to himself while the terrified rabbit squirmed beneath his hands. "We track down the kishin eggs, then kill and consume them," He said monotonously. "Now, dear rabbit." He pulled his knife out of his kit. "Stop struggling; it'll be over soon. I'll shave your belly fur off, examine your insides, and then put you back together. People go into surgery and come out fine all the time; I promise you'll live," He whispered.

However, Stein didn't account for going into a manic trance. He tore at the rabbit emotionlessly, his eyes glazed over as madness entirely enveloped his soul. He chuckled once or twice, but after he had sewed the creature back together a half hour later, Stein gradually became aware of his surroundings once more. "That was fine, wasn't it, rabbit?" He said softly, but frowned when the animal didn't even twitch. It wasn't struggling anymore. "No," He hissed, lifting it up and shaking it a little. Its eyes had rolled back into its head, looking the other way at nothing. The silver-haired boy glared at his victim, who had had a heart attack from sheer fright. "No, no no!" He snapped, shaking it furiously. "I promised you'd live! Why'd you die like that?" He whispered loudly at it, keeping his voice down as to not attract attention. "What's wrong with you? You were supposed to live! I promised!" He exclaimed, getting so furious that his hands flew to the rabbit's neck before snapping it. More blood flowed onto his hands from the wound as he sat there, panting and staring at the poor creature. "I promised," He murmured, shaking a little as he lowered his victim to the ground. "I promised you'd live…" Tears now threatened to spill from the corners of his eyes. Perhaps it had been a subconscious desire to prove that someone could survive his attacks. Maybe he wanted to show himself that he wasn't a monster. Despite this, he had killed something else. In the boy's own mind, he was a despicable beast.

After hiding the corpse under a bush, Stein traveled back inside the boys' dorms. He washed his hands of blood in the downstairs kitchen sink, but he couldn't get it off his sleeves. He hoped no one would notice as he walked upstairs and back to his room. The silver-haired boy was filled with a hollow numbness; he no longer felt angry or sorrowful for having killed the rabbit. Simply numb.

As he stepped into his room, he looked over at the desk. He blinked for a minute, wondering why Spirit was sitting there in his pajamas.

"… What are you doing in my chair?" He asked his partner.

The redhead yawned. "Waiting for you," He replied, getting up. "I came back and you weren't here. You had me worried, lunatic." Stein watched Spirit crawl into bed, throwing the covers around himself. "Had a nice date, if you're interested. Thanks for the cash; I'll pay you back."

Stein nodded. "That'd be great," He replied, but the scythe was already out like a light. He always went to sleep the instant his head touched the pillow. Suddenly Stein's hands began twitching again.

"He_ won't have a heart attack if I take him apart,_" He thought to himself.

"_Are you crazy?!_" His conscience yelled back. "_He's your best friend! You can't betray him by treating him like a science experiment!_"

"_But he's naïve enough that he'd never figure it out_," His madness replied as his hands reached for the scalpel in his pocket. His conscience's voice became quieter and quieter as the silver-haired boy pulled the covers off of his partner, who could sleep through anything. "_It'll just be this once, anyway. Then I'll stop,_" He thought as he marked incision lines on the teen's ankle. "_Just this once…_" He raised the scalpel. His friend's sheets were soon stained with blood.

* * *

**The chapter's name is for the time-skip of a month from the last chapter. Admittedly some of the lines from Stein's rabbit-killing moment was taken from the Young Heretics song "I Know I'm a Wolf". It's a really beautiful song (with a dark undertone LOL), so go listen to it ;) See ya next chap!**


	7. Reality

**Innocent Hearts, Tainted Souls**

**Chapter 7: Reality**

* * *

Stein left no evidence of Spirit's operation, having changed the bloodied sheets himself. The redhead would never notice. But that night, for the first time since coming to stay in the boys' dorms, Stein experienced nightmares. He dreamed he held a scalpel in his hand, while his gaze swept over the bodies he had torn apart that laid before him. He grinned.

The silver-haired boy shot awake, panting in a cold sweat. Sunlight streamed through the window, carrying birdsong that entirely contrasted with the terror within Stein's mind that had his heart pounding wildly. He glanced over at his partner, who was just waking as well. The scythe stretched, yawning a little.

"Morning Stein," He mumbled. Glancing over at his partner, he raised an eyebrow. "Hey. You all right? You don't look too good."

Stein rubbed his eyes, looking like he was trying to get the sleep out of them. The truth was that he was trying to bring himself back to reality after the disturbing content of his nightmares. "M'fine," He replied quietly, sliding out of bed.

Spirit was too tired to notice the insincerity in the meister's voice, so he simply nodded and pulled the covers back around himself. "That's good," He murmured.

Stein strode over to the redhead, ready to grab his ankle to pull him out of bed and tell him to get ready for school, according to their normal morning routine, when he froze. He was suddenly reminded of what he had done to his partner the previous night. His eyes widened and he stiffened with fear. Would Spirit figure it out? If he did, how would he react? The silver-haired boy tried to calm his breathing as he stepped back. Maybe if he didn't look guilty, his partner wouldn't suspect a thing.

The older boy sat up and looked over at his meister when the latter didn't drag the former out of bed like he normally did. "Stein, what gives?" He asked. "Are you sure you're feeling okay?"

Stein forced a nod, averting his gaze. "Yeah," He said, going over to his dresser. "I'm going to get dressed, okay? Get ready for school," He added. Spirit sighed.

"Okay, Stein. But I'm worried about you," He admitted, siding out of bed and gathering up his books to put in his backpack.

Stein got ready for the day wordlessly, ignoring Spirit's attempts at conversation throughout the morning. This only further convinced the scythe that there was something wrong with his meister, but since all previous attempts at conversation had failed, he was forced to remain in the dark.

The two met Marie and Azusa on their way from the girls' dorms as the four of them walked to the Academy.

"It's so hot," Groaned Marie, "And it's January. Why does the Academy have to be in Nevada? Why not someplace cooler? Say, Canada?"

Azusa shrugged. "There's a theory that the Grim Reaper really likes warmth. Some research papers I've read suggest that his species is cold-blooded."

Stein raised an eyebrow. "_Really?_" He thought. "_I kind of like the cold… But Dad was a Grim Reaper. Maybe I got that from Mom…_" He sighed, shaking his head. He had told Marie that he was certain that his father had been a Reaper, despite the fact that truthfully he wasn't sure at all. He wanted to believe that his dad had been a heroic being at one point in his life, and had simply hidden his identity because he wanted to integrate himself into society without being treated as a deadly spirit. That would surely explain why both of Stein's parents didn't want him to become a meister. Being a Grim Reaper, his father would have been afraid of what might happen to a boy that had the conflicting genes of both human and Reaper and used those combined abilities in combat.

"_Maybe that's why I'm mad_," He thought with a start. "_Because Reapers aren't meant to have kids with humans. That'd make me a freak hybrid, and maybe my insanity is a side effect of that._" He stared at the ground. He sighed after a moment. "_But I can't ask them now. They're dead_," He murmured. He glanced up, seeing the others far ahead of him after he had slowed down. He began to sprint forward to try and catch up, when suddenly a hand grabbed his arm.

"Wait just a minute," A woman's voice said, so smooth that it was practically dripping. "I need to talk to you, boy. And if I decide to do so, I may need to kill you."

Stein's stiffened, not looking behind himself to see the source of the sickly sweet tone.

"I'll warn you right now; don't scream. With my hand on your arm, the second a sound escapes your throat I could burn your body to that it would be roasted enough to eat." Despite her harsh words, her tone remained soft as she pulled him out of sight of the other students. Stein's heart pounded wildly.

"_It's the witch_," He told himself. "_The pyrokinetic witch. But she can't just be walking around town without her Soul Protect on. So, if she wants to use her magic on me, she'll have to reveal herself._"

True enough, once they were alone in an alley, the witch released him.

"Soul protect off," She murmured, letting go of Stein's arm. The silver-haired boy immediately attempted to run, but a wall of fire appeared before him without warning. He cried out in shock and at the proximity of the intense heat, jumping backwards while flames appeared behind the witch as well. "Some of the people at the Academy will find me soon, so I've got to make this quick," She said.

The silver-haired boy whipped around to the witch, taking in her appearance. He stared at her. "I've seen you on the training grounds," He realized. She nodded.

"Of course; I've been watching you," She said, reaching out and grabbing his jaw. She pulled him to her while Stein winced in pain. "And I've discovered you have unnatural strength. Why is that, boy?"

Stein began to glare at her, struggling to speak with her hand clutching his chin. "My Dad's… A Grim Reaper," He hissed. He was surprised when the witch began laughing.

"Oh, that's amusing," She grinned, revealing that her canines were sharpened into reptilian fangs. "There's only one Reaper, dearest. Besides, even if he did have a son, I'm certain that he wouldn't look like you."

Stein clenched his fist, suddenly driving it into the witch's stomach. She gasped, releasing her grip. The boy jumped away, but the flames licked at his arm before he got much distance. He cried out in pain again, pulling away, and back towards the witch. He was caged like a lab rat who was being messed with by its captor.

"You're trapped, boy," Hissed the witch, voicing Stein's thoughts. "Trapped like that rabbit last night." Stein froze again, now shaking with fear. "Yes, I saw that. I've never taken my eyes off of you," The witch said, walking over to him again. "Now, let's figure out why you're so unnaturally strong. Flame Extract."

Stein began to feel as if his chest was on fire. He screamed, doubling over in pain. The burning sensation pulsed through him, when slowly he noticed a blue orb begin to be pulled from his body. He gasped, finding himself unable to move. All he could do was stare at his own soul.

"Souls are little flames of life within bodies. Easy enough to extract and manipulate," She smirked. "It's a plus when one doesn't have Soul Perception. So, what have we here?"

Stein could only inhale, feeling constricted by invisible flames. To him, the witch seemed to be sucking the life out of him. She held his soul in her hand, turning it over and around. The silver-haired boy noticed a thin tendril of energy connecting it to his chest, but the line continued to slowly become thinner. He guessed that it would continue to shrink until there was nothing left, and at that point his soul would disconnect from his body and he would die. He wondered if she could hold the spell for that long. He hoped not.

The witch's flame-colored eyes swept over the soul, when all of a sudden they widened. However, her expression soon turned from surprised to amused as she then began to burst into laughter once more. "Oh, this is priceless!" She grinned, bending down to hold Stein's own soul in front of his face. "You simply must see this. You see, a human's soul is blue," She explained the basics, as if speaking to a toddler, "And a Reaper's soul is gold. If you were half reaper," She pointed to the pale center of the orb, "This would be a light gold. It's not though, is it?"

Stein tried frantically to breathe while glaring at her.

"Name the color in the middle, little boy," She taunted. "It's not gold, it's… What? You can't speak right now? Well, I'll tell you," She chuckled. "That's a light purple, or lavender. And you know who has souls of purple?"

Stein gasped, both in terrible realization and in desperate need for oxygen.

"Your father is no Reaper, my little mad meister," She stated. She released her grip on the boy's soul, letting it retract forcefully into Stein's chest. The silver-haired boy cried out in pain as he exhaled. "However," She continued, standing to her full height as she picked the meister up by his shirt collar, holding him before her face. Her next words fell on Stein's ears like the flames she had burned him with.

"Your mother was a witch."

Stein may have heard shouts from beyond the flame wall. He wasn't sure. He may have been tossed to the side by Eris as she escaped. He didn't know. His head may have hit the wall, causing him to black out. He wasn't certain. Spirit may have carried him to the DWMA. He wasn't aware. His mind was reeling, in even more pain than his lungs and the burns on his arm.

"Stein. Hey, Stein. Wake up."

Stein's eyes opened slowly. He glanced around, finding himself in unfamiliar surroundings.

"Good, you're awake," Spirit sighed. "When we noticed you weren't with us, we ran back and saw the fire. After using a payphone to call the Academy, they rushed over and even brought the fire department. You got a concussion when she threw you against the wall, and I carried you back to the Academy's dispensary. Man, you're heavy," He added a little joke.

The silver-haired boy sighed as well. "Okay," He said quietly.

Spirit frowned. "Stein, something's been up with you. I want you to tell me what it is," He demanded, but then added quietly, "If I can't trust you to tell me what's bothering you as a friend, how can you expect me to trust you as a meister?"

Stein looked over at him. He thought for a minute, wondering how much he should tell him. He shook his head once, deciding to tell him a little. "I'm worried… About my madness," He admitted. "I'm scared I might hurt someone." "_I've already hurt you_," He added mentally. "_And I'm terrified of the fact that my hands are itching to do it again._"

Spirit watched his partner for a minute, but then smiled a small amount. "Well, that's easy to fix," He said. "I'll keep you in line. As your partner, it's my job to make sure you stay out of trouble. So I'll watch you, and you watch me," He grinned.

The silver-haired boy smiled a tiny bit, covering up the doubt he still felt inside. "Okay," He said. "I'll do that. But don't expect me to show you mercy if you slip up."

The redhead chuckled awkwardly. "Uh… Yeah," He said, now a bit frightened as he got up from his seat. "I'm gonna go to classes…" He said, sliding towards the door before rushing out. Stein smirked a little. It felt good to get those reactions out of his partner.

"_That's sadistic_," A voice snapped in his head. "_Exactly what a _witch _would do._"

Stein's hands flew to his ears, as if that would block out the voices in his head.

"You're free to go home, Stein," Said the doctor, stepping in. "You probably should rest. It wasn't a bad concussion, but I don't recommend going to school today. I'll get Spirit to get some homework for you."

The silver-haired boy nodded, sliding out of the bed.

During the walk back to his dorms, Stein was silent. It wasn't until after he closed the door to his room behind him that his emotion boiled over. He growled in frustration, kicking over the desk chair. He then stormed over to his bed before grabbing the framed photo of his parents and himself, all smiling brightly, that he kept on the bedside table.

"How could you do that to me?!" He yelled at the inanimate photograph. "Why didn't you ever tell me anything? If you were keeping me from fighting because that triggered my madness, then why didn't you just tell me?!" He accused, gripping the frame in his hands. "And you," He snapped at the image of his father. "I used to think you were a hero! Now I know you're just an idiot! How could you marry a witch?! Didn't you realize what would happen if you had a kid? And if you did, why didn't you just TELL ME?!" He screamed. "I'm a freak! A hybrid! I'm not supposed to exist! I'm insane! Maybe if you had told me your 'big secret' and explained why I shouldn't be a meister, then maybe you'd still be alive!" He cried out. His grip was so tight that it was shaking. Slowly, however, his expression changed from angry to sorrowful. "You two… Are stupid. _Were_ stupid. And you died because of it."

Two small teardrops fell from the corners of Stein's eyes onto the glass in front of the picture, where they slid down onto the boy's last photographed smiling face.

* * *

**Oh look, feels again X3 I need to write happier. Still, there's still a few more twists in the road for Stein, so stay tuned, and I'll see you guys next chap ;)**


	8. Pursuit

**Is it bad that I ke****ep forgetting the disclaimer? I've put it on the first few chapters, and rest assured that I haven't obtained ownership of Soul Eater within that time.**

**Innocent Hearts, Tainted Souls**

**Chapter 8: Pursuit**

* * *

"Stein?" Spirit knocked on the door to their room. "I'm back. You in there?" He called. When no one answered, he pushed open the door quietly to find Stein asleep on his bed. The silver-haired boy was curled up in a ball on top of the covers, clutching a photograph of his parents and whimpering a little in his sleep. The redhead sighed. "Seriously buddy, you've already got hit in the head today and passed out. If you keep on taking naps, you're never gonna get to sleep tonight…" He mumbled. Despite his reproachful words, he moved to reposition Stein and pull the covers around him. However, the instant his hand touched his partner, the younger boy sprang out of bed twisted so that he held the older in a headlock.

"Ow!" Exclaimed Spirit, failing his arms. "Uncle! Leggo, of me, ya nut!" He cried. Upon realizing the identity of his "attacker," Stein released his grip.

"Sorry," He said. "I trained myself for that a while ago."

The scythe rubbed his neck. "Man, that smarts," He muttered. "Anyway, I brought your homework. I know you don't like to miss out," He said, handing a stack of papers to Stein. Upon receiving them, his young meister instantly brought them to the desk, where he began working on his assignments.

Spirit looked at him curiously. "Do you not have a headache from when you got thrown against a wall earlier today?" He wondered. Stein shook his head in response, otherwise saying nothing. The redhead sighed. "Well, I'm gonna go apply for that job at the coffee shop," He said, striding over to the door with his hands in his pockets. "I'll be passing by the store; you want anything?"

Stein glanced at him briefly, and then turned back to his work. "Having a store between the dorms and your work is a terrible idea," He stated. "It tempts you to spend money as soon as you earn it. It's good marketing, sure. The storeowners knew what they were doing. All the same, you're of a mind to spend money easily. Take the long way around," He said.

Spirit rolled his eyes. "Fine. But if I miss my interview because I avoided the store, I'm blaming you," He snapped, walking out. He didn't stay to see if Stein told him goodbye.

"Stupid kid, telling me what to do," He muttered to himself as he walked towards the coffee shop. The route he typically took through town passed by a small general store which sold everything from comic books to cakes. The redhead usually spent most of his money there. However, he had to admit that his meister had a point. If he was going to save up money, he shouldn't be spending it on action figures and candy. "I'm a real mature fifteen-year-old, aren't I?" He sighed to himself.

The bell above the door to the coffee shop rang as Spirit stepped in. True to Stein's theory that everything in Death City was named after a cause or effect of death, or even Death himself, the place was called Deathbucks. He was pretty sure that there were similar stores called Starbucks in other parts of the country, but having been born and raised in Death City, he couldn't be certain.

The redhead walked up to the counter, peering over it at the manager. He appeared to be a young man, with spiked black hair. Without even looking up at Spirit, he said, "You a DWMA student?"

Spirit raised an eyebrow, but nodded.

"Good," Replied the manager. "We're low on staff. Do good today and you get a job."

Spirit tilted his head to the side. "So… That's it? No interview? I even wrote a resume!" He exclaimed.

The manager glanced at him for a moment, but quickly turned back to his work. "I believe that actions speak louder than words. Do well today, and you'll get a job. Uniforms are in the back room. Just take the customers' orders and give them to me. Oh, and everyone just calls me Master."

Spirit was dumbstruck. He stood there blinking for a moment, staring at the manager, until Master added, "You're already being evaluated. Just standing there is not good for your application."

At that, the redhead took off running to the back of the café.

After getting changed into his uniform, Spirit looked in the mirror and sighed. "Waiting on people isn't my thing…" He mumbled. "But this is the only job that would accept me on such short notice. Besides, Master seems nice. Even if he never tells anyone his real name and whoever talks about him sounds like his personal slave," He said awkwardly, dragging his palms across his face. "Welp… Time to get to work." Stepping back into the store, he grabbed the pen, pad, and menus waiting for him on the counter. He went up to the first table, nervous on how to do this without any training. "_How hard could it be, though?_" He thought, trying to build up his confidence. "Can I take your order?" He asked kindly, holding up his pad and paper.

"We've already got our order taken by another waiter," They said.

Spirit's smile twitched, but he remained calm. "That's fine. We do our best here," He said, striding away. "_That was awkward…_" He groaned inwardly. "_I'm already failing…_" He looked over at Master, who still wasn't looking up from the coffee mugs he was cleaning out. "_Maybe he didn't notice,_" He thought. Looking back at the tables, he noticed that all of the other customers were either already being waited on or had their food. "_Guess I'll have to wait for someone to come in,_" He sighed, leaning against the wall. However, when an older lady walked in, he was ready instantly.

"Hello ma'am, may I take your order?" He smiled pleasantly.

For the next hour, Spirit thought he did pretty well. He got every order written down and delivered successfully, and his focus never wavered from the professional. That is, until a certain group of schoolgirls walked in.

Spirit walked over, now being able to methodically maneuver around tables while not averting his eyes from his notepad. He had adapted easily. "Hello ladies, may I take your order?" He smiled at them.

"Yeah, we'll all have strawberry mango shakes. That'd be four."

Spirit froze, instantly recognizing the girl's voice whom he stood behind. Upon looking up, he instantly saw her beautiful ash-blonde hair.

"KAMI!" He exclaimed happily. The girl whipped around, fixing the redhead in her green gaze.

"I thought I remembered that voice," She sighed.

Spirit nodded excitedly. "I'd recognize your melodious tone anywhere, my angel," He told her.

The other girls at the table thought this was adorable, but while Kami's face flushed red, she looked irritated. "I'm not your angel," She muttered. "Besides, we've only been on one date."

Her redheaded lover shrugged. "That doesn't matter if our love is truly meant to be," He told her. She swatted him away.

"Whatever. Just take our order," She muttered.

Spirit bowed slightly. "Of course, my fair lady," He said smoothly, striding over to the counter. The motion would've looked a lot more attractive if he had been looking where he was going so he wouldn't have tripped on a table leg and ended up on the floor. Too ashamed to show his face to Kami after that, he let another waiter give them their shakes while he waited on other tables, his face as red as his hair out of embarrassment.

* * *

"You did well today," Master told him after the last customer left at eight. "You can work here. You start getting paid tomorrow, and your shifts will be from five to eight on weekdays. Can you handle that?"

Spirit nodded, but his stomach was growling. "Remind me to eat before I come here," He mumbled after changing out of his uniform. "Thanks for giving me the job, though. I appreciate it," He smiled a little as he opened the door for himself.

Master nodded. "Anytime," He replied. The bell above the door jingled as it closed behind the scythe.

Spirit's stomach growled at him as he walked home. "Hungry…" He groaned. "Hopefully I can make a sandwich in the kitchen in the dorms…"

"Do you not have any money, Spirit?"

The redhead boy turned around when he heard Kami's voice. "What are you doing out so late?" He questioned. "A lady like you shouldn't be out in the dark without a bodyguard!"

The blonde glared at him. "I'm perfectly capable of handling myself," She muttered. "Answer my question. Are you broke because you took me out to dinner?"

Spirit was about to answer her truthfully, but suddenly stopped. Thinking for just a moment, he thought that it would sound better if he said that he was broke because he spent his last penny on the girl he loved rather than the fact that he bought too many action figures and comic books.

"Yeah," He sighed. "I used it all up on that nice restaurant. But really, it was worth it," He lied. He wondered how easily she could see through deception.

Kami shook her head. "That was idiotic," She muttered. Spirit held back a sigh of relief; she believed him. "Want me to buy you a pizza slice in that little corner deli down the street here?"

Spirit watched his shoes. "You don't have to," He told her, but she grabbed his arm.

"There is no way I'm letting you starve just because you treated me to dinner," She snapped. "Now, I'm buying you a pizza. And you better eat it," She told him.

The redhead smiled a little. "Thanks, Angel," He told her. She continued on in silence, not protesting. "_She liked it_," Spirit beamed inwardly.

* * *

**The chapter name is for Spirit's pursuit of Kami's heart, but also his pursuit of a job X3 Yes, Deathbucks is canon. It's in the manga and Soul Eater NOT. I don't own Starbucks, BTW. I understand that this chapter was a bit less dramatic LOL I'm trying to include different story arcs in this fic ;) We'll get more drama next chapter, I promise. See ya next chap!**


	9. Identity

**I still don't own Soul Eater, guys. If I did, this fic would have been canon a long time ago. **

**Innocent Hearts, Tainted Souls**

**Chapter 9: Identity**

* * *

"I think we should take a mission today," Stein announced to Spirit as the two got ready for school the next day.

Spirit froze. "What?!" He cried. "Why sould we have to do _that_? I don't want to go on a mission and get back late for work all covered in sweat!"

His meister glanced at him. "Well, I'm pushing my psychiatrist's preferences for me as far as I can by just going back to the Institution on weekends, and according to your schedule, that's the only time you're off from work. You'll have to ask your boss to make an exception; we'll be gone a few days."

The redhead paled. "A few DAYS?!" He exclaimed. "I can't be gone a few DAYS! I wouldn't be able to see Kami at all, and the only times I ever see her are on schooldays!"

Stein shrugged. "Suck it up, then. We're taking a mission."

"But…" Spirit tried to protest, but he would tell by Stein's expression that he wasn't listening to him.

"I'm going to go get us a low-level mission, since it's our first," The silver-haired boy said as he picked up his schoolbag. "But after this, we'll be taking far more difficult ones because I'm already advanced."

Spirit's eye twitched. "You're going to get us both killed, you madman…" He whimpered, curling up in a ball in a corner.

"While I get the mission, you need to go down to the café and ask to have a few days off. If possible, don't quit. I still want that money back," Stein added. He looked at Spirit once again. "And get out of that corner. For Death's sake, you're an intimidating scythe, not a whining toddler," He muttered before closing the door behind himself.

Spirit sniffled. "You're a meanie, Stein…" He blubbered.

* * *

The redhead sighed as he dragged his feet to Deathbucks. "They should be open now, right?" He talked to himself. "I mean, they sell breakfast stuff, so they should be open and selling breakfast stuff at breakfast time," He reasoned. Turning the corner, he sighed again with relief that the "open" sign was lit. He walked in, the chime of the bell's door pleasantly echoing through the small café. The aesthetic scent of coffee and fresh bagels flooded his nose, and the smooth colors of the shop's interior only increased the mood of relaxation. However, none of this eased the redhead.

"Hello, Albarn," Master spoke from the counter. "What are you doing here so early? Do you not have school today and wanted to earn some overtime?"

Spirit shook his head. "Not really," He mumbled. "Uh… Sorry. But my meister has the crazy idea that we need to take a mission on a school day," He said, leaning against the counter. "So, I was wondering if I could, um…" He began to get a little nervous; Master didn't seem very strict, but he was slightly worried about how he'd treat a request for vacation days right after Spirit had signed up for the job.

"You want to take days off?" Master assumed.

The redhead gulped. "Yeah, that's the gist of it…" He stumbled over his words. "_Please don't fire me; please don't fire me. Stein will kill me if I don't pay him, and I can't pay him if I don't have a job, so if you fire me I will CERTAINLY DIE,_" He panicked.

"Of course you can take off," Master replied calmly, seemingly not noticing when Spirit collapsed from the force of that pressure being rapidly removed. "I have other employees that are DWMA students, and they take off to take missions all the time. It's normal; I expected it when I accepted your job application. You won't be paid while you're not working, though."

Spirit nodded. "Thank you sir," He mumbled, standing floppily and staggering out the door. A few customers gave him stares.

* * *

"Topeka?" Questioned Spirit as they stood in line for tickets at the airport. "You got us a mission in Topeka, Kansas?"

Stein nodded, looking down again at their mission description in his hand. "Yes. This says that there's a low-level kishin egg around there that would suit beginners well," He explained.

"Hey, kid," Snapped an impatient man behind them. "How about you wait for your mommy at the end of the line? I've got a business meeting that I'm sure is more important than going to visit granma."

Stein clenched his fist, otherwise showing no emotion in response to the man's harsh words. However, Spirit saw that his young meister was doing all he could to resist losing his temper, to not scream at the man behind him the fate of his parents and, as the younger boy had revealed to the elder after a little inquiry, that he had no idea who his grandparents were or where they lived. Instead, the silver-haired boy turned around calmly to the man, holding up his student ID card that he had withdrawn from his pocket.

"We are not waiting for our mothers, nor are we going to see our grandparents," He said, his tone even. Despite this, the fist that he held behind his back was shaking. "We are DWMA students going to destroy a threat to humanity. Every minute that that creature runs loose another person could die, and the monster grows stronger by feeding on their soul. If left unchecked, it could easily become pure kishin, and could have the power to entirely wipe out the planet. Your business meeting would be irrelevant if you were dead, would it not?"

The man behind them seemed shocked for a minute, but then glared at him again. "Darn kids…" He muttered before looking in another direction.

Stein turned around again, putting his ID back in his pocket. "He didn't deny what I said," he stated. "He knows I'm right." His voice was trembling slightly, no longer resolute now that he was talking quietly to his partner. Spirit smiled a tiny bit, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"Don't let him bother you," He said softly. Stein only nodded, facing towards the ground.

They got their tickets quickly before heading towards their terminal, and within a few hours they were seated on the plane. Spirit reclined in his chair happily.

"I love how the school pays for the trip. Plus, they get us first class!" He grinned, admiring the spacious seat.

Stein nodded. "The flight will last about an hour," He said. "We'll land directly in Topeka, so I need you to be ready to transform as soon as we get there. We should be prepared."

The redheaded scythe shrugged. "Sure. Fine. Just as long as you have the proper license to be carrying a scythe in an airport," He chuckled.

Stein glanced at him. "My student ID should be enough, Spirit. I'm entirely qualified."

Spirit rolled his eyes. "It was a joke, nut job," He muttered, curling up in the seat. "I'm gonna take a nap; wake me when we get there."

"All right," Stein replied as he pulled out a book.

Spirit closed his eyes, and the next thing he knew his partner was shaking him awake.

"Wake up; we're landing," Snapped Stein.

Spirit opened one eye and groaned. "We can't be there already… I didn't even get in a full nap," He said.

The silver-haired boy sighed exasperatedly. "I shouldn't have let you sleep. Now you're going to be complaining the whole time that you're tired. That and you won't be able to help me fight properly with your exhaustion," He mumbled. "Get up, NOW. Your meister has given you an order."

Spirit straightened up in his seat, yawning and stretching. "Fine, fine," He replied. Without warning, the plane landed harshly, jarring the teen from his seat. "Ow," He moaned, twisted up on the floor.

"That's why you use the seatbelt," Stein told him matter-of-factly.

"That's why you use the seatbelt," Spirit mocked him quietly in a nasal voice as he climbed back into his seat.

Stein whipped around to him. "What was that?" He snapped.

Spirit gulped. "Nothing! Nothing at all…"

It didn't take them long to exit the plane and the airport, stepping outside.

"Ugh," Spirit complained, fanning himself with his hand. "It's hot in Topeka."

"All the more reason to finish the job as quickly as we can and then head home," Stein told him, ever monotonous. "I want you to be ready to transform at any moment. Understood?"

The redhead nodded, but something caught his eye. A group of girls were walking down the sidewalk, and Spirit watched them intently. "Those girls are cute," He smiled. Stein raised an eyebrow at this remark.

"You have a girlfriend, Spirit," He snapped.

Spirit glanced down at the boy. "Yeah, I realize that. It's not like I'm doing anything with those girls, I was just saying they were cute," He defended himself.

Stein sighed. "Fine. I'm just saying that some girls would consider that disloyal," He said, walking the other way down the street.

The scythe huffed as he followed his meister, crossing his arms. "There's not a law that says I'm not allowed to look at cute girls if I have a girlfriend," He grumbled to himself.

The two boys walked for a ways in the heat of the city, Spirit complaining all the while. Stein ignored him for the most part, observing the city for any signs of the kishin egg and occasionally expanding Soul Perception. Nothing seemed amiss, however, and the city continued to function routinely. Parents towed their noisy children around while they browsed in department stores, cars drove around in the city traffic, and a few street musicians played jazz on saxophones. Everything seemed ordinary; no one appeared to be cowering in fear of a soul-eating demon. Stein frowned a little at this lack of promise.

"We're not getting any answers," He muttered to Spirit. "We need to start asking questions."

Spirit looked around. "Ask who?" He wondered. "We could just ask random people, but that might disturb them if we ask if they've seen a monster tear someone apart and eat their soul…"

Stein nodded as he turned into a small corner grocer's store. "That's my concern, too. But while most people mostly mill around, some have a perfect view of the city from their shop window all day. If something happened near a shopkeeper, they'll have seen it. That way we'll minimize our chances that we'll frighten someone who knows nothing," He explained. Spirit chuckled a little; he couldn't argue with his friend's logic. Well, in that situation, anyway. When the silver-haired boy started to talk about how dissection was at the core of all science, the redhead tended to tune him out.

"Hello, boys!" Smiled the shopkeeper behind the counter as the two students walked up to him. "Can I help you?"

Stein nodded. "Yes sir," He said, showing his student ID. Instantly the man stiffened a little. This made Spirit suspicious, but Stein's expression revealed no emotion whatsoever. Spirit wondered if he had even noticed the clerk's reaction. "We're from Death Weapon Meister Academy, sir," Stein continued, "And we're trying to track down a monster. A kishin egg, to be precise. Have you seen it?"

The man shook his head rapidly. "No! I don't know what you're talking about!" He said loudly, exaggeratedly, his eyes flicking between the storage room door and Stein's unchanging expression.

Stein was silent for another moment, but then sighed. "Honestly, sir, I thought people could hide their fears better than that," He muttered. "I'm pretty sure that even my idiot of a partner detected your uneasiness."

"Yeah," Spirit agreed, but then stopped. "Wait, what did you call me?"

"Your situation is obvious," Stein went on, ignoring his partner once again. "There's something in that back room that you don't want us to know about. You want it to think that we're not here," He said. "The kishin we're looking for is low-level. It could have easily still had the intelligence to bribe someone into housing it in exchange for promising the host freedom from its jaws. Besides, no one would ever look for it here, would they? And it's the perfect place for it to crawl out of at night and attack the city square," He explained. "Spirit, transform."

The scythe nodded, his body glowing for a moment as the change took place. Now simply condensed light, his form flew into Stein's waiting hands before taking shape as his onyx-colored scythe. The clerk stared at them in horror, speechless, as the silver-haired meister stepped towards the back storage room. He opened the door, bracing himself for something to come flying at him.

Nothing came. Everything was silent while Stein stepped forward into the dark back room.

"Wanna turn on a light?" Spirit whispered. "I can't see a thing."

Stein shook his head. The only reason Spirit could see this action was the fact that Stein's silver hair caught the tiniest bit of light as it moved. "I don't want to turn a light on for fear or startling the kishin and making it charge," He said, moving forward gradually in a constant battle stance as he closed his eyes. "Besides, I can use Soul Perception to…" Suddenly he cut off, whipping around. "It went behind us!" He exclaimed, bolting back into the store. "It must've heard us, waiting behind the door in the darkness. When we walked in, it slipped out behind us!" He shouted.

However, as the two entered the sunlit store again, they saw no sign of the kishin egg. Stein closed his eyes again, and then snapped them open. "It's behind the counter," He whispered, slowly walking over to it.

"The clerk's the kishin?" Spirit asked, not being able to see anyone or anything over there. The clerk was seemingly gone.

Stein's lips turned downward in a scowl. "No," He said. "There was a human soul next to the kishin's. But now it's gone."

Spirit's eyes widened. "It ate the clerk," He whispered in horror.

Without warning, Stein flew backwards, slamming into a cereal display. He shouted in surprise, laying about broken boxes of wheat thins that were now scattered everywhere.

"Stein!" Yelled Spirit. "What happened?"

Stein rubbed his head, glaring at seemingly nothing in front of him. "It's invisible," He spat. "That's how it managed to sneak behind us." As soon as he had said this, he was tossed again, this time colliding with soup cans. Some of the metal split upon impact, slicing through Stein's shirt and piercing his side. He winced, but otherwise gave no indication of pain.

"Bad little humansssssss," Hissed a voice from directly in front of the two. "Giving away my hiding placccccccce."

The silver-haired boy gritted his teeth, jumping up and swinging Spirit towards the voice. It laughed when his blade sliced through thin air.

"You'll have to be quicker than that, tiny mealssssssss," It chuckled.

"Spirit," Stein murmured. "I'm going to have to fight with my eyes closed and find him using Soul Perception."

Spirit stared at his partner. "Are you crazy?!" He exclaimed. "Wait, ignore that question. I know you're crazy. Anyway, if you fight with your eyes closed, you'll run into things!"

The silver-haired boy was silent as he crashed again, now into shelves full of breads. He groaned, rubbing his head. "Well, I can't use that skill with my eyes open," He muttered.

"I bet you can," Spirit encouraged. "You're a great meister. A prodigy. Just try."

Stein glared a little at his partner, but stood anyway. He visibly tensed as he tried to expand his mind's eye while still seeing the physical word. Spirit felt the kishin's eyes on them, observing them curiously. Abruptly he felt Stein's grip on him tighten. "I can see it," He murmured, eyes wide. He swung the scythe around suddenly, charging forward at the invisible enemy. Spirit was surprised to feel his blade slash through flesh seemingly in midair. The kishin egg shrieked as its form flickered into view, unable to uphold its transparency now that it had been pierced.

The parters stared at the creature, getting a glimpse of it for the first time. It was low-level, so it was little more than a man, but his back was hunched and bony spikes protruded from it. Now realizing that it was facing an actual threat and no longer playing a game with two children, it snarled. Charging Stein, it caught him suddenly and tossed him through the shop window. The silver-haired boy screamed as glass stuck into his skin, his body landing with a thud on the pavement. The creature followed, looming over them.

"Your ssssssoul is sssssstrong," It grinned madly, "It will tassssssste exxxxxxxxxcelent."

"Stein, get up!" Spirit yelled a warning. His meister appeared unconscious. Despite this, as the kishin leaned down to take a bite out of Stein's neck, the boy's grip on his scythe tightened. His eyes suddenly snapped open, whirling his partner around and beheading the creature before it could blink. As with all kishin when they're killed with the soul-reaping weapon, the monster dissolved into fading dark ribbons that were gone in an instant, leaving behind its glowing red soul.

Spirit transformed back, staring at the soul. "We did it, Stein," He marveled as he turned back to his partner. However, the younger boy was unmoving, save for the rapid rise and fall of his chest as he panted. His eyes had closed once more. Spirit stiffened, lifting Stein's head onto his knees. "Stein," He said quietly. "Wake up. We got the soul. Wake up," He pleaded as he shook the silver-haired boy. "You didn't lose enough blood to pass out. Why are you passed out?!" He began to panic. He turned to some of the onlookers frantically. "Get help! Somebody!" He cried. "My friend's hurt!"

* * *

**Oooh, suspense ;) This chapter's name, "Identity", is for Stein's use of school ID in different situations, the clerk's identity as a criminal housing a kishin, and Stein's newfound ability to discover identity (using Soul Perception) with his eyes open. He does that in the anime, so I thought I'd incorporate it. By the way, who noticed the reference about midway through the chapter? Points if you did. More will be explained next chapter, guys, so I'll see ya'll next chap :D**


	10. Clash

**Nope. Don't own Soul Eater.**

**Innocent Hearts, Tainted Souls**

**Chapter 10: Clash**

* * *

Stein blinked his eyes open.

"Dude. Seriously; you need to stop passing out on me," Spirit's voice reached his ears. The boy turned to his friend.

"What happened?" Stein asked quietly. Examining his surroundings, he discovered that he appeared to be in a hospital. Spirit sat on a chair next to his bed, and the clock on the wall read five o'clock; two hours after they had located their target. "We were fighting the kishin egg, and then…" He sighed, running his hand through his hair. "I passed out."

Spirit sighed as well. "You were analyzed by the doctor," He murmured, "And we agreed that you hadn't lost enough blood or spent enough energy to pass out."

Stein looked back towards the ceiling. He closed his eyes; taking a deep breath to calm himself. "Then what's wrong with me?" He asked quietly. "_Please let it not be heart problems,_" He thought to himself. "_If it's heart problems, they won't let me be a meister any longer because I might kill myself if I fight too hard._"

The redhead frowned a little. "Well, the doctor couldn't find any other physical problems. He was stumped," He said.

The silver haired boy didn't open his eyes, but his mind was churning. "_It could be a soul issue, then,_" He thought. "_There have been cases of souls being in conflict with themselves. This will have different effects depending on the person,_" He remembered from one of his textbooks. "_Is this because of the difference between Mom's and Dad's souls? I inherited both Mom's madness and Dad's humanity. Maybe I pass out and get really exhausted in training because my soul is trying to keep me from fighting to the breaking point of the conflict. But what happens after I reach that point?_" He took a deep breath again. "_Something my soul is preventing my body from doing._"

Spirit's brow furrowed. "Stein, why don't you tell me anything?" He snapped harshly, causing his partner's eyes to snap open and turn to face him. "I know you're thinking of something. If you have an idea of what's wrong with you, you can tell me. I can help. Why do you always keep secrets?"

Stein was silent for a moment. Once again, he contemplated how much to tell his friend. There could be advantages in confiding his problems in someone else, but there was also the possibility of Spirit spilling some information accidentally.

"… I'm sorry," He said after a while. "There are some things that are better left secret."

The redhead glared at his partner for a moment longer, but then he shook his head. "Fine. Let's just get home," He muttered.

Stein nodded, sliding out of the bed. "Right," He said, wincing a little as he moved. His wounds still hurt, but he gave no other indication of pain as they checked out of the hospital.

The two boys were in the plane shortly, flying to Death City. Spirit was quickly asleep and snoring, but Stein still stared out the window at the vast expanse of the stars in the night's sky. Not closing his eyes, he began to use Soul Perception. He knew that a lot of meisters could sense souls with their eyes open, but it took extreme talent to be able to identify them entirely without closing one's eyes. Stein smiled a little in the satisfaction that he was able to do so. His smile dropped, however, when he examined his own soul.

"_The witch was right; the center's purple,_" He murmured, wincing a little. "_My soul's been tainted since I was born, and it's only getting stronger,_" He closed his eyes again, trying to figure out which parts of him were a result of his mother. The madness, definitely. The fire witch had said that his abnormal promise and strength at his age were a result of that as well. He was sure he didn't have any magical abilities, and as far as he knew, there were no male witches. He was a human. "_A human body with a witch's soul_," He thought, "_And they're tearing each other apart for control of my mind._"

The silver-haired boy shook his head to try and clear his thoughts, taking the blanket that the stewards had provided for him and pulling it around his shoulders. He glanced at Spirit briefly, his hands shaking a little. Instead, he turned away, reminded himself that he didn't have his dissection kit and _if_ he did that he wouldn't take his friend apart again anyway, and then let sleep overcome him.

* * *

The plane's P.A. system dinged, waking Stein.

"Would you like a snack now, sir?" A stewardess asked a very drowsy Spirit across the aisle.

Stein turned, seeing the redhead yawn. "Just a bottled water," He muttered. She nodded, and then turned to Stein.

"Would you like something?"

The silver-haired boy shook his head. "No thank you," He murmured, watching his partner. The scythe had already gone back to sleep, leaving his water bottle in the cup holder next to him. With no expression at all on his face, Stein unscrewed the lid on the bottle, swiftly splashed Spirit with it, and then put the cup back and sprang back into his seat before Spirit could make sense of anything.

"What the heck was that?!" He spluttered.

Stein glanced over at him passively. "You must have left your water open before he hit turbulence, and it splashed," He explained falsely, but he lied well.

Spirit quickly screwed the lid back on his water, mumbling to himself that he was sure he never even opened it, and shaking water out of his bright hair. After he turned away, Stein couldn't resist a smirk.

When they landed, it was still dark in Death City. The two sleepy boys took a late bus back to the boys' dorms, and even Stein was dragging his feet.

"That was exhausting," Muttered Spirit as he switched on the light to their room.

Stein yawned a little. "Look at the bright side," He muttered, "We weren't gone a few days." He set his bag down, climbing into bed without even changing. "Now get some sleep; we have school in a few hours," He deadpanned.

"Huhhh?!" Spirit exclaimed. "No way I'm going to school tomorrow!"

"Then I'm dragging you," Replied Stein. "Sleep now 'cause I won't let you sleep through class."

The redhead rolled his eyes as he kicked off his shoes and grumbled something about an "insomniac psychopath".

* * *

Stein stared at his friend in horror. He should've expected this, he thought. But why now? The morning had been all right, and Spirit had complied easily after two hours of sleep. Well, he complained up a storm before Stein threatened to show the redhead his own intestines. Then he shut up. Maybe he had been upset at him. Whatever the reason, Spirit had said he needed to use the bathroom in the middle of class, and hadn't come back. Stein volunteered to look for him, and found him kissing a girl he didn't recognize. It definitely wasn't Kami.

After staring for a moment, Stein realized that Spirit hadn't seen him, he was so absorbed in that girl. The meister's expression hardened. He stormed up to Spirit, yanking him away from the girl.

"What do you think you're doing?!" He snapped harshly. Spirit's eyes widened, while the girl's face flushed red in embarrassment, her legs then carrying her rapidly back to the classroom. Stein didn't care about her. What mattered right now was the cheating teen in front of him. "You have a girlfriend!" He continued.

Surprisingly, Spirit didn't shy away as he normally did when faced the enraged Stein. Instead, he became defensive. "So what?" He shot back. "I was just kissing her!"

Stein was shaking with rage. He was so livid to the point that he knew he needed to calm down, so he closed his eyes and took a deep breath before facing his partner again. "You're going to keep doing that, aren't you?" He said. Spirit scowled at him. "You're going to keep saying 'it's just this' and 'it's just that', but someday you're going to go too far. Someday you're going to break someone's heart, they'll leave you, and you'll be all alone."

As he spoke, the anger began to drain from Spirit's face. He didn't look sorry or saddened, but still a bit defensive. "You can't predict the future, Stein," He muttered. "You don't know that. I plan on staying with Kami, and she'll understand. That girl just now, and the other girls I've dated, I never really loved, okay? But I love Kami."

Stein frowned, crossing his arms. His gaze met with his partner's in a silent impasse. After a minute, however, he sighed. "Spirit, we agreed on something. Back when I was passed out in the dispensary after the witch attacked me," He stated. Spirit nodded a little, but otherwise showed no reaction. "We agreed that we'd keep each other in line. You'd stop me from going mad, and I'd make sure you didn't do anything stupid. That's all I'm trying to do, all right?"

The redhead was quiet for a moment as he watched the floor, but then he turned his gaze back to Stein. "Fine," He snapped curtly. "I'll try and stop."

"Good," The meister nodded as he began to walk off. After a hesitant moment, Spirit followed him.

* * *

Not a few hours later, Stein tried frantically to stop the shaking that had started in his hand. To try and do homework was impossible now, but his conscience was loud enough that night that he didn't want to go outside and murder another animal.

After a bit of nervous pacing, the silver-haired boy sighed. He needed to focus his mind on other things, he decided. The perfect solution arose quickly; annoy Spirit. Seeing as his partner was at work at the moment, it'd also give Stein an excuse to take a walk.

The coffee shop wasn't far from the dorms, and Stein got there relatively quickly. Upon entering Deathbucks, however, he discovered that Spirit seemed pretty flustered already. The sleepy redhead was one of the only two waiters in the entire shop. Stein debated with himself for a minute, wondering he should leave his weapon alone and let him do his job. Instead, he decided that since Spirit already seemed close to a meltdown that it wouldn't be hard to push him over the edge. The silver-haired boy smirked a little as he sat down in Spirit's half of the café, which he had determined was his from observation. He couldn't help but smirk a little when he saw his partner's expression upon noticing him. The older teen paled visibly, stepping cautiously towards his friend.

"What are you doing here, Stein?" He hissed a little.

Stein raised an eyebrow. "Aren't you supposed to ask me what I'd like to order?" He asked.

Spirit gritted his teeth a little, but pulled out his notepad. "_Fine_," He said through clenched teeth. "May I take your order, _sir_?"

Stein looked at the menu. "Actually, I haven't chosen yet," He replied. Spirit opened his mouth to speak, presumably to say that he was going to wait on another table in the meantime, but Stein held up his hand to stop him. "No, I'll only take a minute," He insisted calmly, giving no indication that he was doing this on purpose.

The redhead took a glance over at his boss behind the counter to see if he was watching, and then turned hurriedly back to Stein. "Look, you sadistic nut job, I have other customers to wait on. I know you're just messing with me, so I'm leaving," He growled quietly as to not be heard by anyone but his partner.

"Wait," Interjected Stein, "I know what I want."

Spirit rolled his eyes. "Fine. What is it?"

Stein began to look thoughtful again. "Well, I thought I wanted the number four, but now I'm not so sure…"

Spirit began fuming. "I'm outta here," He grumbled, beginning to storm off.

"I'll have the number five!" He called after him. He smirked when he saw Spirit stop, write the order down, and then go to the next table. Messing with his partner was so satisfying. However, as payback, Spirit didn't give him his order until he was one of the last customers left. Stein knew his strategy; the younger boy couldn't give a bad report on the slow waiter to his boss because that could get him fired, and he wanted that money back. So he just waited, growing ever more impatient by the minute.

"Here." Spirit was smirking now as he set the coffee down on the table in front of him.

Stein took one glance at it, and then turned back to Spirit. He had concluded that he had to try one last retaliation. "I ordered the number four," He deadpanned.

Spirit's eye twitched. "… You did not," He whimpered.

Stein shrugged, taking a sip of his coffee. "You're right; I didn't," He admitted. Spirit sighed with relief and sat in the seat across from him.

"You're being mean," He muttered while he laid his arms on the table and rested his head there. "My shift's nearly over, anyway. Not many customers at seven-thirty," He mumbled, yawning a little. "But having to work after that little sleep… That was exhausting, ya know. You're the one who told me to come in today, Stein. Did you have this little prank planned from the beginning?"

The silver-haired boy shook his head. "No, actually. I thought it up while I was doing homework," He explained.

"Lovely," The redhead sighed. "So when you're bored, you daydream about torturing me."

Stein shrugged. "Pretty much," He admitted. Spirit rolled his eyes but didn't reply, and so Stein sipped his drink in silence for the next few minutes.

"Ya know," Spirit said again, ending the brief silence. Stein glanced up to look at him. "What happened earlier, the conversation about girls and stuff that we had, it got me thinking."

"Thinking that you're not going to do it again?" Stein asked.

Spirit narrowed his eyes slightly. "I'm going to ignore that comment. Anyway, I've determined that you need a girl, Stein."

The silver-haired boy raised an eyebrow. "My parents are under the impression that eleven is too young to start dating," He stated. He always spoke of his parents in the present tense, even to someone who knew they were dead. It helped hide a bit of the pain.

"Pfft," Spirit blew it off. "Kid, I started dating when I was nine."

Stein watched him for a moment in silence. "… You're hoping that if I get a girlfriend myself, I'll be easier on you about the subject," He muttered, going back to his coffee.

"Yes," Spirit admitted instantly, shrugging. "Still, it's worth a try. Plus, there's a girl who likes you already."

The silver-haired boy frowned a little upon hearing this. Someone who could love him, with his level of curtness? And even if she didn't know about his dissection habits, and he hoped whoever she was didn't, it wasn't hard to figure out that he was a little sadistic. Okay, maybe slightly more than a little. She must be an incredibly rare and incredible girl to like him despite that, he thought. Stein had always been more mature than most other boys his age, and he hadn't seen girls as repulsive since he was six. Although, until he was eight, he was convinced that they hailed from another planet. He got over that quickly.

"Who is it?" He asked, curious to meet what he now saw as his sympathetic admirer.

Spirit smirked at his reaction. "I knew you'd be excited," He grinned. "Although, you already know the girl."

Stein went over a mental list of girls he knew. These girls would have to be mutual friends with Spirit for him to know about it, right? That narrowed it down a little bit. Azusa obviously didn't have a crush on him, or anybody. He wondered if that girl was capable of love, honestly. That only left one option…

"Oh no…" Stein groaned.

"Marie thinks you're absolutely perfect," Spirit grinned.

Stein's eye twitched. He looked down at his empty coffee cup, then shoved it in front of Spirit.

"More coffee," He demanded, determining that he'd need more caffeine before he could deal with this.

* * *

**This chapter's named after the clash of Stein's two halves, and his confrontation with Spirit. ;) Now, clickie the little "review" button. Please? If you like this story, review, follow, favorite, something. Anything. Do all three. Feedback of any kind is appreciated, and it gives me the confidence to write more :) See ya next chap, guys!**


	11. Conversation

**Thanks so much for the reviews, everybody! You all are great. *Hands out digital cookies to all reviwers* Feedback is always appreciated :) Sorry for this chapter's lateness, though :P School happened. Anywayz, *I disclaim: I don't own Soul Eater***

**Innocent Hearts, Tainted Souls**

**Chapter 11: Conversation**

* * *

Marie was up before the sun that next morning, digging through her dresser loudly. She threw clothes onto the desk and her bed, muttering to herself as she did so.

"Marie…" She head Azusa groan from her bed, and heard the 'click' of her bedside lamp being turned on before the gentle, yellowish light filled her half of the room. Marie had already turned hers on. "What are you doing? I'm all for getting ready for school early, but I don't think that's what you're doing."

The blonde whipped around to her friend, looking panicked. "Stein just came back from a mission!" She exclaimed, and then swiftly turned back to her drawers again. Azusa raised an eyebrow.

"… That didn't answer my question at all," She mumbled. Marie barely glanced at the raven-haired girl when she walked over to her, the floorboards of the dorm room creaking slightly. "What does Stein going on missions have to do with tearing apart your side of the room?"

Marie sighed, turning to face her. "You don't understand," She murmured sorrowfully.

Azusa shook her head. "That's right; I don't. Explain," She rolled her eyes.

Marie sighed again. Poor Azusa; she knew nothing about love. "We just realized Stein came back from a mission yesterday, right? But he and Spirit didn't tell us anything about it. Obviously they're waiting for us to ask. We, Azusa, as their dear friends, should want to know more about their exploits. This is a test to see if we bring up the subject."

Her roommate still looked confused. "I'm not sure that's quite it. Stein doesn't seem one for talking, and Spirit seemed pretty drowsy for most of yesterday. And you still haven't explained why you made this mess," She said plainly.

Marie was starting to get worked up. "Of course they want to talk about it! That means that I have to talk to them!"

"You were saying 'we' just a minute ago…" Azusa pointed out, but she was ignored.

"I have to TALK TO STEIN!" Marie exclaimed. "Don't you get it?! I need to be wearing an outfit he likes to make the absolute best impression! So I'm going through all of my clothes, but none of them look right!" She wailed.

Azusa sat down on her friend's bed, watching her. "Marie, you two are polar opposites. You're bright and cheerful, and he's dull and quiet. Spirit's said that he's a bit sadistic, even." When Marie didn't respond, she continued; "You know, animals in the wild are only attracted to creatures of their own species. He's probably not interested in you because you're not his type."

Marie froze for a moment, but then suddenly enveloped her friend in a crushing hug. "Azusa, you're a genius!" She giggled.

"Genius can't breathe!" Azusa exclaimed, causing Marie to pull away, but the blonde still grinned.

"I'll dress like Stein!" She beamed, picking out clothes that looked like Stein's everyday attire. "Do you think I should act like him too, Azusa?"

The raven-haired girl shook her head rapidly. She had already accidentally convinced her friend to start dressing like Stein, but she didn't want her to change her personality in an attempt to attract someone who'd be uninterested in any case. "Nope," She said quickly. "Uh, don't even try. You're perfect the way you are," She told her.

Marie smiled as she found the right clothes. "Hopefully Stein'll think so, too."

* * *

Marie gulped. After arriving later than normal for class, she realized that the earliest opportunity she'd have to talk to Stein would be at lunch. She stressed over it, worrying herself about the encounter to the point where she began to dread it. However, at lunch, she was smiling at the thought of showing Stein her outfit.

"Hey, Stein!" She beamed as she skipped up to the young meister in the lunch line. The boy's green eyes turned to glance at her, causing her heart to begin pounding.

"Marie," He nodded slightly in a short greeting.

The blonde wanted to scream. "_He talked to me!_" However, she kept her cool on the outside. "Do you like my outfit today?" She asked. "I'm trying something new."

Stein looked her over once. She was wearing a white button-up top with long sleeves that seemed almost identical to his yet feminine. In addition, she wore grey pants that matched his own. The boy met her eyes again, then replied, "It looks like mine," He pointed out.

Marie nodded again. "Yep," She smiled at him. "Do you like it?"

The younger boy examined her again. Then he said plainly, "It doesn't suit you."

The blonde froze, her face going entirely blank. Stein and Spirit walked past her, leaving her with Azusa.

"Are you okay, Marie?" Her roommate asked. The blonde's only response was a whimper as she got her lunch. Noticing her friend was rather depressed, the raven-haired girl struck up conversation with Spirit and Stein a few minutes later once they were all seated.

"So, I heard you guys came back from a mission yesterday," She said. "You didn't say anything then. How'd it go?"

Spirit shrugged. "Went good," He said. "The thing died easily once Stein found it."

Marie had been poking her food, but she picked her head up to listen.

Stein nodded. "It was low-level, but it had abilities that we didn't anticipate, like the fact it could turn invisible."

Azusa raised an eyebrow. "Really?" She asked. "I've heard of kishin eggs developing powers, but I thought that only happened when they had higher levels."

"Maybe it was enchanted." The three sets of eyes turned to Marie as she spoke. "I read about that a while back for a report I had to write on witches. Sometimes they'll enchant kishin eggs to do their dirty work and get rid of their enemies without a lot of effort on the witch's part."

Stein looked thoughtful. "That's likely," He said. "There's that flame witch that wants me dead for some reason. Maybe it was her."

"Her name's Eris," Stated Azsua, "And she's not exactly a flame witch. Actually, her familiars are dragons."

Marie's eyes widened. "Dragons?" She gasped. "But they don't exist, right?"

Azusa shook her head. "Not now, they don't. They're extinct these days. But Eris is ancient. When she was born, dragons were normal. According to some books, she still keeps a few of the last ones."

Spirit shuddered. "Sounds freaky. I know everyone else thinks dragons are magical and wonderful, but am I the only person who thinks that a flying Tyrannosaurus Rex that breathes fire may just be bad for survival?" He questioned. "Those things could pull your roof off, pick you out of your bed, roast you on a spit and serve you with ketchup!"

"Thanks for that picture, Albarn," Snapped Azusa, shivering a little as well. "That's creepy, honestly…"

Stein's eye twitched slightly. "I want to be the first to dissect a dragon…" He said quietly, smirking a little. Azusa raised an eyebrow as Spirit elbowed his partner, seeming to snap him back into reality. The silver-haired boy blinked, then shook his head as if to clear it. "N… Never mind," He murmured. Marie looked concerned for the boy, but said nothing.

"Well, aside from the kishin egg being enchanted," Spirit continued, "Stein pulled something really cool while we were fighting."

"How so?" Asked Azusa.

Stein lifted his head, now looking a little proud of himself. "I used Soul Perception with my eyes open," He said.

Marie clapped. "That's great, Stein!" She cheered loudly, until people began staring at her. At their gazes, she sunk a little in her seat. "I mean… Yay."

"That's incredible, Stein," Azusa marveled. "That's a rare ability on its own, and they say that meisters who learned it have immense unlocked potential and strength. But to discover it when you're so young…"

"Not young for much longer," Spirit grinned, poking Stein. "Guess whose birthday's comin' up."

The silver-haired boy glanced over at his partner. "Poke me again and I'll remove your finger." Spirit jumped back immediately.

"Your birthday's coming up?" Marie smiled. "When is it?"

Stein glanced at her. "It's not for a few weeks," He mumbled. "My scythe's got his dates wrong."

"Hey, it's still not far off!" The redhead protested.

Marie smiled gently at Stein. "How about we do our best to make sure your birthday was just like the ones you had before you came here, Stein?"

The boy blinked as he looked up at her. Pain flashed in his eyes for a split moment, but then it was gone as quickly as it had come. "I don't like to be reminded of that. Those days are behind me," He said, back to being monotonous. "I don't want to remember that town. I don't want to remember those friends. I bet they don't even know what happened to me, but one day they'll hear rumors and assume the worst. When I left that town, I left behind a life, and I don't want to go back. I _can_'_t _go back," He said. His words felt like they should hold much more force, but their effect was slightly lost at his even tone. Azusa seemed unmoved, but Marie held her hands over her mouth in horror.

"_That poor boy_," She thought to herself, but didn't say anything because she knew Stein wouldn't appreciate it.

Spirit was quiet for only a moment. "Well… That was pleasant," He said sarcastically. "Lighten up, guys. We've gotta start planning the best party ever for my meister."

Stein glanced at him. "I don't want a big party," He said, but Spirit dismissed him with a wave of his hand.

"Too bad," He said. "You're in this group of friends now. And in this group of friends, we throw each other big parties," He grinned.

"With just the three of you?" Stein deadpanned.

Spirit's grin became an awkward smile. "Well, not exactly a _big_ party… Maybe just a really hyper one. It won't be just the three of us, either; Azusa usually brings her meister, and Marie brings hers when she has one. Besides, this time I'll be bringing Kami," He declared.

Marie felt slightly perturbed at what Spirit implied about her. True, she never had had a permanent meister, but the redhead made it sound like even that was only occasional. She was trying hard to find a meister, really. It was just that most everyone in their school already had a partner, and she had happened to make friends with a group of weapons that were entirely useless as meisters. Still, in the past she had managed to catch the eye of that Sid guy, but he wasn't the most pleasant person to be around.

"So, what do you want for your birthday, Stein?"

Azusa's question jolted Marie out of her train of thought. "_She's right;_" She realized, "_I'll have to get him a birthday present!_"

"I don't really want much of anything," Stein replied, but Marie was oblivious. Her mind was already racing.

* * *

"You need to help me pick something out, Azusa!" Exclaimed Marie, frantically dashing through the Death City gift shop's isles. The raven-haired girl rolled her eyes at her friend's antics.

"Honestly, Marie," She mumbled, "He said he didn't even want anything. Maybe just get him a card," She suggested, but her friend wasn't listening.

"What about a bobble-head?" Marie wondered as she picked up a tiny Grim Reaper with a gigantic head on a spring. "He might want that. Or a snow-globe?" She gazed at a DWMA snow-globe. "Or should I get him something practical?"

Azusa rubbed her temples. "He doesn't care," She said, but was ignored once again. She was pretty convinced that Marie only brought her along so the blonde didn't look like she was talking to herself.

"I'll get the bobble-head," Marie smiled as she picked it up. "Stein loves Lord Death!" She beamed.

Azusa nodded, having no choice but to follow her friend. She told herself that one day _she'd _be the one pulling _Marie _around, just to spite her.

Ahead of the two girls in the checkout line was a cloaked figure. She was quiet, talking to the cashier with monosyllabic responses. She walked out when she was done, barely being noticed by an excited Marie. However, Azusa felt as if there was something off. Despite this, she said nothing to her friend as to not worry her, and the woman walked past without any resistance.

It didn't take her long to reach the edges of town. Dropping her Soul Protect, Eris wasted no time in teleporting back home before she was noticed.

"Did you have a nice outing, mother?" Muttered Shaula as she stroked the scorpion in her hand with her finger, pricking herself more than one on its tail barb. The poison didn't affect her at all.

Eris threw her cloak to the ground, fuming. "The boy's still alive," She growled. "That girl is head-over-heels for him; she wouldn't be that happy if she knew he was dead. She just bought him a gift, too," She muttered. That kishin egg she had enchanted was supposed to have killed him off; why wasn't he dead? The dragon witch had had to stay a bit further from Stein after failing to kill him in the alley, so she hadn't been able to watch him as much. She also continued to be in the dark regarding the identity of the boy's mother, which only infuriated her further.

Shaula sighed, setting the scorpion down to skitter about the floor. "Why don't you go spend some time with your drakes, mother?" She coaxed, knowing that when Eris was mad, her nearest daughter was a perfect item on which to take out her anger. Her dragons seemed to calm her down, however, so Shaula gently tried to lead the older witch in that direction. Eris shook with rage for a moment, but then took a deep breath to calm herself.

"You're right," She said, but then added as she walked towards the basement, "For once." Shaula rolled her eyes.

"In case you're wondering, Medusa went out!" She called. Eris gritted her teeth slightly; she specifically told both of her daughters not to go outside after what happened to Arachne. Besides, she had reason to believe that her middle child had been seeing a human. She made a mental note to figure out who he was and feed him to a dragon after she was done with her plans for the Reaper and Death City.

As soon as she entered into the darkness of the basement, many sets of glowing golden eyes turned to face her. Deep rumbles sounded in scaly throats as the beasts' master walked among them. She strode up to the closest one and began stroking the huge creature's head. He was the oldest, and his head was twice as long as Eris' height.

"I know you want out," She cooed at his disappointed grunting, "But it's not safe yet. Trust me; once I have my plan in place," She began to grin, "You'll have an entire city to burn and feast upon, Morrowseer. You and all your family."

Morrowseer picked his head up and roared joyously, and the dozen others responded. The house above shook with their cries.

* * *

**TotalGamer's Headcanon: Sid was a jerk as a kid. For some reason I can see it really easily. Not all cool adults were angels as kids. I like Sid, but I have multiple reasons why I wish he would've stayed dead. If you wanna know why, you could ask in a review ;) BTW, Morrowseer is based off of a dragon from the Wings of Fire books. I hate him in the books, so expect him to die LOL See ya'll next chap! ;)**


	12. Dodge

**These chapters are coming slower lately, I apologize XP I don't own Soul Eater, guys.**

**Innocent Hearts, Tainted Souls**

**Chapter 12: Dodge**

* * *

"Did you see Marie earlier today?" Spirit chuckled as he and his partner strode into their dorm room. "She's head-over-heels for you, buddy."

Stein's reply betrayed no emotion. "I'm eleven. I can't have a girlfriend, Spirit. Even if I could, I'd be afraid of hurting her with my madness," He mumbled. The silver-haired boy shook his head, his voice dropping as he leaned against a wall and crossed his arms. "It's getting worse."

The redhead turned to his friend as the smile drained from his face and was replaced with a frown. He sighed. "Stein, she really does love you," He mumbled. "If you keep pushing her away then it's going to break her heart."

The silver-haired boy was quiet, but then he shook his head. "No," He said. "There's multiple reasons why we can't be together. It can't happen, and that's that."

Spirit remained silent, not protesting, but not agreeing either. He watched Stein pull out is homework from his bag and begin on it, while the scythe pulled a comic book out of his drawer and read that instead.

"I have to go back to the Institution tonight," Mumbled Stein, changing the subject. "It's Friday, remember?"

The redhead nodded. "Right," He said. "Want me to help pack?" He asked. Neither boy was happy with Stein's arrangement with the Institution, but they both knew it was the only way to keep Stein in the dorms for the majority of the time.

"No," Stein said plainly. "I don't want you digging through my stuff."

Spirit blew a strand of his bright hair away from his face. "Fine," He said. "Although I suppose that doesn't include folding your laundry," He said. "Like your little arrangement to only wash the clothes on the weekends when you're inconveniently not here."

Stein shrugged. "I don't like washing clothes. Getting you to do my literal dirty work is fine with me."

The redhead rolled his eyes. "You sound like the villain here," He mumbled.

"I'm fine with that," Stein replied with a slight smirk.

Soon after, Stein had his homework done and was finished packing.

"Want me to walk you to the bus station?" Asked Spirit as his meister trundled his suitcase towards the room's door. Stein glanced over his shoulder at his partner, nodded once, and then turned back around and began walking once more. Spirit nodded in understanding and followed his friend. It was no secret between the two that Stein had become afraid of being alone after his encounter with Eris, but that fact was never spoken out loud.

It was dark outside as the two boys walked to the bus station a block away. Neither spoke, but waited silently for the bus. When the vehicle's headlights lit up the nighttime street, Spirit began walking away. "See ya," He said as he turned his back.

"Wait."

The redhead stopped in his tracks. Stein's word was unexpected; he had never said it before in this situation. Spirit turned around to his friend, raising an eyebrow.

"What was that?" He asked, confused.

Stein, reluctant to ask for help, turned towards the ground a little grumpily. "I asked you to wait, idiot," He mumbled. "Can you… Ride the bus with me?"

Spirit resisted the urge to chuckle at his partner. Here was a boy who had faced a deadly kishin egg, and the poor child wanted his partner to keep him safe until he was no longer alone.

"Of course," Smiled the scythe as he climbed into the bus next to his meister. Stein only nodded as they sat down and the sparsely-crowded bus rolled onward.

They reached the edge of town within a half hour, and by that time the two were the last passengers on the bus. Spirit had fallen asleep against Stein. The younger boy sighed. "You're entirely defeating the purpose of staying with me," He said, but smiled.

"Last stop," Announced the bus driver as Stein slid out of his seat, unceremoniously dumping Spirit onto the cushion.

The redhead sat up blearily. "Hm… Wha?" He mumbled, stretching. "We 'ere?"

Stein nodded. "Yeah," He said. "This is my stop. I've gotta walk another block or so to get to the Institution, but the next bus stop's across the street and the last bus will be leaving soon. You'll have to get over there quick if you want to get home," He said, stepping out of the bus. Spirit followed, slower as he yawned.

"That's good," He said sleepily. "You sure you'll be okay walking on your own? In the dark?" He asked.

Stein shot him a small glare. "Of course," He huffed. "Goodbye," He said, walking down the sidewalk under the streetlights. Spirit sighed, but nodded.

"See ya," He said again, walking across the road to the next bus stop. Stein didn't give any inclination that he heard his partner as he headed to the Institution.

Darkness seemed to envelop Stein from all around. He walked casually under the streetlamps, but between each beam of light he rushed to the next one. The boy was terrified of what might await him in the darkness. He couldn't rationalize his fear, with aggravated him, but right then he didn't care. He didn't want to be alone, and he especially didn't want to be left alone in the dark.

He rushed to the Institution as soon as it came into view, charging forward. Despite the depression and madness that seemed to pour from that place, Stein knew he'd be safe there from whatever specters awaited him in the darkness. He ran inside, instantly finding Dr. Kelvin's office and telling him he was back. The doctor seemed a bit puzzled by the boy's eagerness to be locked in his room, but he didn't question it and sent him with an escort.

In his cell, on the stiff bed and clutching a pillow to his chest, Stein sighed with relief. The darkness couldn't touch him here. There were always people out there, beyond his door. Even if they didn't like each other, they were to protect him, and he was grateful.

"_I don't want to be alone,_" He thought to himself. "_But it's not because of the witch, and I'm not afraid of the dark,_" He determined. "_It's because when I'm alone, when no one's around… That's when my madness starts tempting me._"

* * *

"AUGH!"

Stein's eyes widened. He didn't realize what he had done until the blood dripped down his scalpel to his hand. The last thing he remembered was dissecting a duck with Dr. Jones, but then Dr. Kelvin came in, grabbing his arm and telling Dr. Jones once again that Stein should stop his dissections. But this time, Stein had reacted differently than normal.

"That brat stabbed me!" Shouted Dr. Kelvin, putting his good hand over the other bleeding one, but his own blood was rapidly seeping through his fingers. "I told you this was bad for him! He's sinking further into his madness!"

Dr. Jones wrapped her arms around Stein, holding him to her and away from the angered therapist. "It's not his fault!" She defended him. "It's yours for provoking him when he held a scalpel!"

"It's your fault for giving him a scalpel in the first place!" Kelvin shot back.

Stein shook, horrified at what he had done. "Stop it," He whimpered to the doctors, but they didn't hear him.

"He needed it for learning control!"

"Stop it, please…"

"Obviously it's not helping; he JUST STABBED ME!"

"STOP IT!" Screamed Stein. The two doctors turned to the boy, who had almost worked himself up to tears.

Kelvin glared at him, but then whipped back to Jones. "I am going to talk to your superiors immediately, Doctor Jones, and make sure these dissection sessions are immediately cancelled," He snapped, storming out of the room. "As soon as I get this hand bandaged…"

Stein turned back to Dr. Jones once his therapist had left, whimpering. "He can't make me stop," He shook. "He doesn't understand; these sessions are the only thing keeping me from attacking kids at school!"

Dr. Jones' eyes widened in shock, but she let the silver-haired boy continue.

"Yes, it was probably a bad idea to start these," Stein admitted, "But it'll be worse to stop them! Here I can take things apart, like my madness wants me too, and hold off the urge until the next week. But if that stops, I'll start hurting people…"

Dr. Jones sighed. "I'm sorry, Stein," She murmured, stroking his soft hair, "But I can't do that. If my superiors say these have to stop, then I can't do anything about that," She whispered, hugging him. "I'm sorry."

Stein said nothing, but continued to shake as his fear clutched his mind like a cold hand.

* * *

As the two partners walked to school Monday morning, Stein found himself shaking a little at random intervals. His urge to dismember had only grown stronger since Saturday after being deprived of his "scientific" pastime. On top of that, he was pretty sure that Dr. Jones had either quit her job at the Institution or had been fired. The guilt he felt from this, along with his desire to dissect, and pushed the boy to a depression-like silence. The last time he had spoken to Spirit had been the previous night.

"You don't look good, bud," Spirit had told Stein upon the younger's return from the Institution Sunday evening. There were bags under the silver-haired boy's eyes, and as he set down his suitcase, he seemed to shake with the effort. "What happened?" Asked the redhead.

Stein didn't make eye contact with his partner. "They made me stop my dissections," He mumbled. "So I think I'll go mad and attack someone."

Spirit stood and walked over to his friend. "Um… Is that an assumption or a decision?" He questioned, a little fearfully.

The silver-haired boy glanced at his partner for a moment, but then turned back to unpacking his suitcase. "I don't know," He replied. He said nothing else, despite Spirit's ongoing questions. The redhead had eventually given up, walking over to his bed and curling up in the covers. The two partners spoke no more that evening, nor that morning.

"Stein," Spirit finally spoke as they ascended the stairs to the Academy, "I need you to talk to me. If you don't talk about your problems, then they'll never get fixed," He mumbled.

Stein didn't turn to look at him. Spirit rolled his eyes, thinking that Stein was ignoring him again, when his meister spoke.

"I'm bored," He mumbled quietly.

The redhead raised an eyebrow. "What was that, Stein?" He asked.

Stein rolled his shoulders. "I said I'm bored," He repeated. "I don't want to be bored. I want something to do," He said as they reached the top of the staircase. His dull green eyes scanned around. "See, there," He said to his partner, gesturing at nothing, "Lots of things to do."

Spirit put his hand on Stein's shoulder. "Hey, Stein," He said, beginning to get worried, "Just… Slow down, okay? I don't know what you're talking about."

When Stein's eyes met his partner's, the redhead pulled back at the madness he saw in them, while the younger boy's mouth split into a grin. "All these people are things to do," He explained, "Things to dissect." He stepped forward, towards another older teen. Spirit was too frozen in shock to do anything as Stein looked up at his chosen victim, still grinning. "Hello there, thing. Would you mind being dissected?"

The teen boy's face became one of horror as Stein suddenly threw him to the ground with more brute strength than should've been possible. Other students were beginning to notice the spectacle and stared as their classmate got the wind knocked out of him. Before he could recover himself, Stein sat on his chest with a scalpel in his hand.

"They took away my dissection sessions," He giggled, "But they didn't take away my kit. So I still have my scalpel, and I'll use it to cut you apart."

"STEIN!" Shouted Spirit, finally overcoming his shock and darting forward. The younger boy didn't resist at all as the older looped his arms under Stein's and hauled him to the side. The other teen jumped up and ran into the school, others following to report on what had happened.

"What were you thinking?!" Spirit continued to accuse his friend. "Why in heck would you try to pull something like that?! You'd have to be insane to even think-!" He stopped. Stein turned to face him, but his grin was gone. His face was void of expression. He had just realized what he had done, but betrayed no emotion. Inside, however, his guilt and embarrassment were so heavy on him that he wanted to jump to his death off the terrace. The younger boy stood, pulling his arms away from Spirit.

"I'm fine now," He muttered. "Let's just get to Lord Death's office before what just happened is announced over the intercom," He mumbled, dragging his bag behind him as he entered the school. Spirit sighed and nodded, following his friend. Unfortunately, they were too late.

"Would Franken Stein please report to the Death Room?"

Stein froze as he heard the school's loudspeaker project those words. Students turned to stare at him, but Spirit put his hand on his partner's shoulder. "I'll come with you," He said quietly. "Now, don't run to try and avoid attention. It won't work, so just walk."

Stein nodded as he walked through the halls to the Death Room. He noticed others pointing at him and whispering, wondering what he had done to deserve a visit to their deadly principal.

Upon reaching the Death Room, Stein wasted no time in shoving the door open and going inside. He was ready to receive whatever punishment the Shinigami could give him, and told himself that he would face his fate with dignity. Spirit looked a bit worried, but followed his partner anyway down the corridor of guillotines. The redhead shivered as he glanced up at the sharp blades suspended over their heads. He hoped that none of them had ever killed anybody, or accidently dropped on a student going to see the Reaper… Or maybe that was to be their punishment. Quaking with fear, Spirit's hands gripped Stein's shoulders in fright. Stein didn't respond as Lord Death came into view.

The tall shadow was silent, looming over the two boys as they stepped onto his platform. He eyed them for a moment. Stein stared right up at him, while Spirit, despite having not done anything, was avoiding the Reaper's gaze and ducking being his partner. When Lord Death spoke, the redhead promptly fainted from the rapid release of tension.

"Hello hello, kiddies!" Greeted the Reaper, his gigantic hand popping out of his sleeve and shaking Stein's own hand. "How are ya? What's shakin?"

Stein was about to open his mouth, but the Shinigami continued.

"Well, I know the issue, anyway. That's what's shaking, isn't it? You attacking people, Franken?" He said, picking up Spirit. "You're obviously the guilty one here. The boy passed out, even. Come on, wake up!" He shook the unconscious redhead back and forth, dangling him by the back of his shirt from the Reaper's large white fingers.

Stein's eye twitched. Holding up his hand to speak, he mumbled, "Uh, sir? I'm Franken Stein. That's my weapon, Spirit. He freaks out over everything."

Lord Death abruptly stopped. He glanced at Stein, then back to Spirit. He repeated his process a few times before promptly dropping the redhead. "Why, you're right!" He said, now picking up Stein and hanging him in an identical manner. "I had to look at your soul for a moment, but now I can definitely see that you feel like kicking yourself."

Stein sighed as he swung back and forth. "Or jumping off a roof," He muttered.

"Oh no, we can't have that!" Lord Death exclaimed, setting Stein down gently. His voice became more serious all of a sudden as he spoke again. "Franken. You're an exemplary student. There is absolutely no reason for you to go jumping off buildings or cliffs or trees or elephants or what have you."

The silver-haired boy turned to the floor, his steadfast shell withering. "But I was going to attack another student," He mumbled. "That's unforgivable."

Lord Death sighed. "Of course it's forgivable, Franken. Fights in this school are normal, but remember to have a teacher present."

Stein's fists clenched at his sides. "It's Stein," He snapped. "And you don't get it!" He suddenly exclaimed. "That wasn't just a fight, sir! That was an attack! Madness enveloped my soul and provoked me to try and dissect another student! I could've KILLED him!" He shouted.

The Grim Reaper watched the boy for a minute, letting him vent his frustration. "Stein," He said calmly, after the meister had finished and was quiet, "I know entirely what caused you to lash out. I can see it in your soul."

The silver-haired boy stiffened, his eyes widening.

"I see the traces of a witch's madness. Your mother was a witch, was she not?" He asked gently. Stein could only nod. "I can't change your genetics, Stein. The best punishment for you is to face the guilt of your actions. It may take time, and you may feel terrible because of what you might do, but getting hurt and making mistakes is how we learn things. I can only ask you to be careful."

Stein looked back up at Lord Death. "Yes sir," He said. "I'll do as you say."

Lord Death immediately perked up again. "That's the ticket!" He cheered. "Now, against inherited madness, there is only so much a mental hospital can do, and the Institution obviously isn't helping. So… We'll just have to make sure you're entirely released and transferred to the boys' dormitories! How does that sound?"

A smile began to grow across Stein's face as his hope finally began to outweigh his fear. "You can do that?" He asked.

"Of course!" Lord Death patted his head. "Of course, of course! And, if you're interested, I believe I can tell you a bit about your deceased parents, as well."

Stein froze, his smile gone as quickly as it came. "… What?"

* * *

**Oooooooooh. A cliffhanger X3 This chapter's named after Stein dodging Spirit's questions and dodging the dark. See ya next chap, guys ;)**


	13. Truth

**In response to a guest's question, the reasons I wish Sid had stayed dead is because he has a habit of interrupting things. (Stein and Medusa's kiss, the fisher guy about to tell Kid about Eibon, etc.), and my favorite Wings of Fire character is Starflight and HE BELONGS WITH SUNNY. Ahem. Sorry. I don't own Soul Eater, or Wings of Fire. If I owned Wings of Fire, Fatespeakeer would mind her own business or try to hook up Sunny with Starflight.**

**Innocent Hearts, Tainted Souls**

**Chapter 13: Truth**

* * *

"So, let's get down to business," Lord Death began, sipping his tea. Stein was slightly confused as to the reason for the cushions, table, and Japanese beverages, but he didn't want to question the Shinigami. Spirit, still out cold, had been slumped unceremoniously against the mirror at the edge of the platform.

"Let's see… If memory serves me correctly, both of your parents attended this school," The Reaper continued. "Your tea's getting cold," He absentmindedly swerved off-topic.

Stein looked down at his drink, sipping it a little to please Lord Death and to get him to go on. In reality, the silver-haired boy hated tea.

"Is it good?" Asked the Death god.

Stein nodded, well hiding his disgust. "Excellent," He mumbled. "Now, about Mom and Dad…"

"Oh, right. Them." Lord Death took another sip of his tea. "Impatience isn't good for you, Stein. You should relax."

Stein tried hard to hold down his anxiousness. "Yes, sir," He said slowly. "But I would still like to know about my parents," He added.

Lord Death nodded. "I understand. Their lives are a bit of a mystery to you, aren't they? They never told you much, and there are multiple reasons for that. Although I suppose it would be best to start at the beginning.

"Your mother, known to us as Hannah Sullivan, was a meister. Your father, Charles Stein, was another meister that grew to admire your mother deeply," Lord Death explained. "However, your mother would be 'out sick' often. Victor would be worried for her, but after they became closer, he would go to her dorm during those times and stay home with her. Most at the Academy thought she was merely fragile, but she confided in me and told me of her true identity. Only Charles and I knew that she was a witch. When she was supposedly sick, she was having issues fighting her madness."

Stein tilted his head. "She fought her madness?" He asked. "Like me? But I thought all witches were evil and give in to their insanity."

The Shinigami shook his head. "Most accept their madness, but some witches are different. Your mother was one of those who wanted a normal life, constantly using Soul Protect to hide her true self. To my knowledge, she never used any other spell. However, even though she constantly resisted her madness, it was still there. It never left, and evidently when she had you, it traveled into your genes."

The silver-haired boy nodded. "Yes sir," He said. "But… They never told me about any of this. Mom and Dad never explained or warned me that I might have madness. They could've helped me prepare for it," He mumbled.

Lord Death sighed. "I believe that they hoped with all their hearts that you hadn't inherited any of your mother's insanity," He murmured. "Their way of preparing for it was attempting to prevent it. Did they not move away, abandoning their lives as meisters, pushing every piece of their previous life behind them? They didn't teach you about any of it because they were worried that your madness would reveal itself if you chose to fight. It seems they were right."

Stein frowned, watching the tea in his cup. "But even when they saw me begin to go mad, they didn't do anything but forbid me from fighting. That didn't help," He shot back, his temper rising again against his parents. "They should've helped me learn to control it. That's when they should've told me everything!" He shouted suddenly.

Lord Death was silent for a moment, merely watching Stein. He lifted his tea to his mask, sipping it for a moment before he finally spoke. "Stein, you are an eleven-year-old boy. Your power to resist your madness is not as strong as that of your mother's when she first came to this Academy. That's all she did to fight her madness; she tried to forget it." The anger drained from Stein's features as realization entered his eyes.

"They didn't do anything," He murmured, as he stared at the Shinigami, "Because they didn't know what to do."

Lord Death nodded. "Yes," He agreed. "I suspect that that is precisely the reason." The two sat in silence for another minute, the older sipping tea while the younger merely monitored the ripples in his cup. It was only after the Reaper set his empty cup down that he spoke again. "Stein, I think you need to stop blaming your parents for your madness. They always wanted what was best for you, and they tried their very hardest."

Stein glanced up at him, not moving his head. He sighed, looking down again. "I know," He murmured. "I…" He stopped. His next few words had difficulty pushing out of his mouth, but he knew that it was time he finally said it. "I… I forgive them."

Lord Death instantly jumped from his seat, perking up. "Well, that's excellent!" He cheered. "That's a great achievement! You don't have to live with that anger anymore. Doesn't that make you feel better?"

The silver-haired boy smiled a small bit, but before he could speak, Lord Death had picked up Spirit again. "Come now, wake up! You've nearly missed lunch, you lazy scythe!" He slapped him a couple times with his large hand to stir him. "If this boy ever becomes a Death Scythe, I guarantee he'll get more Reaper-chops than all the previous Death Scythes combined."

Stein allowed himself to chuckle a little as a now conscious but staggering Spirit was set back on solid ground. "I don't doubt it, sir," He said, helping his partner off the platform and down the hall. Spirit shook his head groggily.

"If I ever become a Death Scythe," Muttered the dizzy redhead, "It'll be too soon."

* * *

"So what'd you and Lord Death talk about?" Spirit asked, shoving his burger into his mouth during lunchtime. "We were in there way too long for him to just punish you."

Stein glared at him slightly. He didn't want that subject brought up, despite the fact that by then the entire school had heard of or seen his outburst of madness.

Azusa was puzzled. "I thought you were there, Spirit." She said, eying the redhead oddly.

Stein began to smirk. "He was out cold for most of the time," He said. "He was really afraid of Lord Death." He ate small bites of his salad. "I'm not, of course. I mean, he's big and all, but I'm pretty sure that all his threats are false. I have trouble believing that guy could hurt a fly."

Marie frowned a little. "I dunno, Stein," She said. "I heard that he can be pretty brutal when he fights."

The silver-haired boy shrugged. "Whatever."

Marie watched him, sighing. "Stein, I think that maybe it would help you to have a role model, or a guide. An authority to follow, you know? Lord Death would be perfect for that. The first step would be to respect him."

Stein winced a little. Every time he had trusted someone to guide him well, he had gotten hurt. His parents had hidden things from him. Both Dr. Kelvin and Dr. Jones had given him the opposite of what he needed. He couldn't trust people not to hurt him, even if they had the best intentions at heart.

"No," He said firmly. "I don't need an authority. I can handle the madness by myself," He muttered. Marie watched him sadly. Without warning, the blonde reached across the table to hold Stein's hand. Her golden eyes were soft and sympathetic. Stein's eyes widened at the intentionally comforting gesture, but one that had suddenly made him very uncomfortable. He jerked away, finished his salad quickly, and left as fast as he could, all within a matter of seconds.

There was a moment of silence at the table, until a pitiful whine sounded from Marie's lips. This quickly turned into all-out sobbing on the blonde's part. Spirit rolled his eyes, while Azusa looked angered. She was tired of letting Stein treat her friend that way. Jumping from her seat, she stormed out of the cafeteria and after the young meister.

Stein wasn't hard to find. He had simply traveled back to his seat in the empty classroom, his head in his arms on the desk. The angered raven-haired girl began stomping up to him, but suddenly collected herself. Taking a deep breath, she ascended the stairs with more calm, but was still inwardly furious.

"Stein," She snapped upon reaching her classmate's side.

The boy didn't even look up at her. "Hm?" Was his only response.

Azusa clenched her fists, trying to keep herself calm. "I don't appreciate how you're treating my friend," She told him, getting straight to the point.

Stein turned to look at her out of the corner of one eye. "Marie?" He asked, to which Asuza nodded.

"You're treating her with absolutely no kindness, Stein," She muttered. "She loves you. A lot. I don't know why, because you're obviously not good enough for her, but she won't stop talking about you." Now that she had started her lecture, she was finding it hard to stop. "She thinks about you all the time. Everything she does is with you in mind. She thinks you're perfect, wonderful, and cute. She feels really sorry for you and wants to help you and make you happier!" She shouted.

Stein simply stared at her silently. After a while of silence, he turned back so that his face was buried in his arms again. Azusa glared at him, turning around and starting to walk off.

"Tell her I'm sorry."

The sniper froze. She turned back to Stein, raising an eyebrow. "What?"

Stein slowly sat up, and then faced her. "I said to tell her I'm sorry."

Azusa crossed her arms. "I'm listening," She muttered.

Stein glanced at her, narrowing his eyes slightly at her sass, but he then closed his eyes. "I can't be her boyfriend, okay?" He told her. "I'm eleven. Granted, I'm almost twelve. But that's still just a kid," He said. "Besides, I have trust issues. You know that."

Azusa's gaze shot daggers at him. "You know you can trust Marie," She growled, getting impatient. "And yes, I realize you're young, but you can at least be friendly to her instead of being so harsh."

The silver-haired boy groaned slightly. "But she's annoying… OW!" He exclaimed as Azusa suddenly landed a punch to the side of his face.

"Be nice and think about other people!" She yelled.

Stein looked up at her, the rage in her eyes entirely contrasting with the lack of emotion in his own irises.

"… Azusa," He said slowly, "If I get too close to her, I might hurt her. You know what I did earlier."

The sniper glared at him for a minute longer. Slowly, however, the anger pulsating from her blue eyes began to regress. She huffed again, walking off.

"Fine," She mumbled. "But you should be the one to tell her that."

Stein nodded, watching her go. He sighed as he was left alone with his thoughts.

"_There are some good things about Marie, you know_," He began to think. "_She's sweet and kind, and would do anything for those she cares for. Her blonde hair is beautiful, and her eyes are cute._" He shook his head. "_What am I thinking?! She's annoying, isn't she?_" He stared forward silently. "_But how come I can come up with so many good things about her, and only one bad thing?_" He leaned back, watching the ceiling. "_Maybe it's a subconscious excuse,_" He realized. "_I keep pushing her away, telling her she's annoying, when…_" He closed his eyes with a sigh. "_Really, it's just an excuse to keep her away so I won't hurt her, and… I actually like her._"

* * *

To the DWMA's satisfaction, a lead on Eris had been found. An underground palace, they called it, beneath the sands of the Mojave Desert. Of course, this was only suspicion. No one actually knew what her home looked like, but they had reports from that area of quakes beneath the ground and sand shifting oddly. They didn't have anything else to go on, so they had no choice. The witch had to be exterminated if the Academy, and the world, were to be protected.

"Just our luck that there's a sandstorm out here today," Muttered Jay Ross. Celeste, his weapon and also one of Stein's teachers, was in her blue spear form in his hands. "I can't see a thing out here, and it's messing with our communication."

"Maybe Eris stirred it up," Celeste suggested, her voice sounding metallic due to her weapon form. "Her power is immense. We don't know what she's capable off."

Jay nodded as they moved into position. Many experienced meister and weapon teams were moving slowly to surround the suspicious area, hidden by the storm. Jay squinted through his gear and mask. "I think I keep on seeing this weird shadow through the sand, though," He mumbled. "It's starting to worry me."

"It's just the sand shifting," Insisted Celeste. "Or the witch is over there waiting for us."

Jay shook his head. "Uh-uh," He disagreed. "It's a whole lot bigger than a witch."

Celeste was about to reply, but Jay's walkie-talkie buzzed before she could speak.

"We're moving in," Spoke the garbled voice over the communicator, frequently being interrupted by static because of the sandstorm. "We're sending in a few members ahead of time. Ronald, Amy, Ridge and Elm. Go in first with your weapons."

This is met with three "Rogers", and then silence. Jay waited patiently for his signal, blinking the sand out of his eyes. Suddenly shouts sounded from his walkie-talkie, startling the two.

"Retreat!" Came multiple yells. "Don't go any further! Get-!" The words were cut off by static. Jay's eyes widened as he brought the device to his mouth.

"Amy! Elm!" He called, only to be met by further static for a moment, until the commander of the operation came in again.

"It's too late for them," He said. "There's nothing we can do. We're going home."

Jay swore under his breath, shoving the communicator back into his pocket. "I'm going in there," He muttered, "No matter what they say; I'm not leaving teammates behind."

Celeste's reflection appeared on her blade. "You can't!" She protested. "We don't know what's out there! You might get killed, like they were!"

Jay trudged forward anyway. "Or they might still be alive!" He shot back. "But if they're not," His hand gripped his weapon's hilt tighter as he spoke, "I'll destroy whatever killed my comrades."

Celeste sighed in slight exasperation, but then nodded grimly. "All right. I'm with you every step of the way," She promised. "You made me a Death Scythe, after all. I'll follow you anywhere."

Her meister allowed himself to smile a tiny bit, the noise of the sandstorm loud in his ears. However, after a few more steps forward, the roar suddenly stopped. Jay's eyes widened. They had reached the eye of the storm, one that wasn't supposed to be there. The sand continued to swirl in a wide circle around them, but inside all was still. Jay's attention wasn't focused on the sand, though.

His eyes were fixated on the immense black dragon, standing with its back to him at the center of the eye.

Flames continually poured from its mouth, scorching the ground before it. Unable to burn sand, the fire quickly died once the creature stopped breathing it. Celeste stared in horror as the flames recessed, revealing floating blue souls. These the dragon licked up with its tongue and swallowed casually. With each blue orb, the creature grew slightly larger.

"_Those were our comrades_," She thought to herself, afraid to speak and attract the beast's attention. "_It burned them alive_."

"Was that tasty, Stonemover?"

Jay froze as Eris stepped out from behind the dragon. Her eye caught the meister and weapon, prompting her to chuckle. "You missed a few."

The dragon's head whipped around to Jay and Celeste. A rumbling sound began in his chest as it reared its head back. Jay glared at Eris.

"You killed our comrades!" He shouted, pointing Celeste at her. "Why?!"

Eris shrugged. "I'm a witch. I kill; it's what I do. Besides, I didn't kill them," He crooned as she patted the dragon's leg. "My pet here did. He needs souls so he can get stronger to burn down your precious city."

Jay was shaking, but tried to hide his fear as he spat, "Why are you telling me your plans, witch?"

The Drake Witch grinned. "Because you won't live long enough to tell anyone about it," She said casually. She snapped her fingers, issuing the command for her dragon to release the fire it had stored up in its throat. Even through the roar of the flames and heat rushing towards them, Celeste and Jay could still hear Eris' laughter.

It was the very last thing they ever heard.

* * *

**This chapter's named after the truth about Stein's parents, and the truth of him admitting he likes Marie. I had to remember Stein's reluctance to submit to authority when he was that age, though LOL And all these names to come up with… Minor characters that didn't last long, so I won't have to use their names again ;) And yes, all of Eris' dragons are going to be named after "Wings of Fire" NightWings. See ya next chap, guys!**


	14. Admiration

**I don't own Soul Eater, guys. I don't think I ever will; I barely have enough money to keep buying its merch.**

**Innocent Hearts, Tainted Souls**

**Chapter 14: Admiration**

* * *

Azusa sat back down at the lunch table after coming back, still a bit perturbed at Stein. Spirit was still eating, while Marie simply had her face planted on the table, her food pushed to the side. Azusa sighed a little.

"Marie?" She said quietly. "You need to eat."

The blonde mumbled, "Not hungry."

Azusa put her hand on her friend's shoulder, knowing the real reason for the hammer's melancholy. "Marie, you can't think that your existence is pointless if the 'perfect boy' pulls away from your hand," She told her. "He probably just thought it was too much all at once."

Marie's head shot up, revealing her red nose and eyes from crying. "All at once?!" She repeated. "Azusa, it's been over a month! I've been trying so hard to get him to like me, but all his time he's just been cold and emotionless and pushing me away whenever I try to show the poor boy some love!" She wailed, hugging Azusa's arm. The raven-haired girl wanted to be comforting, but being more of the cynical type, she found that hard to do.

"Uh… There, there?" She tried, patting her friend's head with her free hand.

Spirit just sat there watching the two, rolling his eyes. "Women," He huffed a little with his mouth full. It was then that Stein returned.

The young meister wasn't looking up, watching the floor before him as he stepped slowly up to the group. It was obvious that he felt guilty, but Marie wasn't looking up to notice and continued to keep her face buried in Azusa's sleeve. "… Marie?" Stein said slowly.

Spirit's and Azusa's eyes turned to the silver-haired boy, the former looking curious while the latter looked livid.

"Haven't you done enough damage?" Spat Azusa. Marie didn't lift her head, refusing to look at her heartbreaker, who shuffled his feet.

"I…" His words came gradually, as if he had a hard time conceding their truth after resisting it for so long. But he saw that Marie need consoling, and he knew that Azusa would likely shoot him down if he didn't try to right his wrong. So, he said what was on his mind. "Marie, I… Like you."

Azusa stared at the boy, while Spirit's jaw dropped. The blonde slowly picked her head up, her eyes beginning to widen. "What was that?" She asked. She wondered if she had imagined Stein's words after getting herself worked up.

Stein sighed. "I said I liked you," He mumbled, but quickly added, "As a friend, okay?"

For the present, that was good enough for Marie. Before Stein could blink, Marie had enveloped him in a crushing hug. He grimaced at the pain. "Marie," He gasped. "My ribcage… You're crushing it…"

The blonde pulled back, looking into Stein's pale green eyes with a grin now plastered on her face. Stein's expression returned to its normal jadedness. "You do realize I only said I'd be your friend, right? Don't get yourself worked up; it's not a big change," He muttered.

Marie beamed. "But it's a good change," She giggled. Her eyes calmed for the briefest of moments as she spoke quietly, "Thank you, Stein." However, immediately following her words, she had the boy in a hug once more.

"Marie," Muttered Stein, "The hugging… I'm not a hugger…" His arms hung somewhat limply over Marie's shoulders, his hands flailing slightly as he didn't know where to put them. Spirit couldn't resist a chuckle at his partner's awkwardness, while Azusa rolled her eyes.

"Honestly," She muttered.

Marie's mood was entirely changed once again. She was cheery and peppy, and now that Stein was talking to her, she blushed even more often. Soon after the two sat back down, the mirrors on the walls stopped reflecting the faces of the school's staff and children, and instead showed Lord Death's face. Spirit instantly stiffened, while Stein looked confused as the Reaper began to speak.

"Good afternoon, kiddos! I hope your school day's going great!" He chirped.

"Why do you look scared, Spirit?" Stein elbowed his partner. "It's just Lord Death saying hello. He must do this all the time."

Spirit shook his head, his eyes suddenly grim. "No," He said quietly. "I've been coming to this school a lot longer than you have, Stein. Lord Death never uses the mirrors to talk to us unless something's gone really wrong," He told him. Stein paled slightly, now beginning to dread Lord Deaths' announcement. True to Spirit's words, the Reaper brought no good news.

"Now, I hate to put a damper on this fine day, but I'm afraid you all should know something important," He said. "You may have noticed a few of your teachers missing this morning. They, and a few other choice meisters and weapons, left on a mission to smoke out the Flame Witch. No pun intended, children; this is serious."

Azusa scoffed. "He could have easily avoided that pun."

"Unfortunately, the mission didn't go as planned," Lord Death recounted. "While we located Eris' hideout, we lost nearly half the team."

Collective gasps were heard from around the cafeteria. Stein stiffened. Marie looked horrified, Spirit's expression hardened, and Azusa closed her eyes in respect for the fallen.

"Here are the names of those killed in action. May their souls rest in peace," Lord Death murmured. "Meisters Jay Ross, Amy Clarence, Elm Daring, Ronald Johnson, and Ridge Oswald. Weapons Molly Crest, Denise Watson, Ivo Oswald, Roger Smith, and Celeste Solar."

Spirit's eyes widened. "That was our teacher," He gaped. He was frozen with horror for a moment, but then his expression turned even darker than before. He gritted his teeth. "That witch killed Celeste."

"Saturday afternoon, there will be a remembrance gathering, a sort of funeral, for the fallen. Anyone who would like to attend is welcome. That is all," Lord Death signed out, his image fading from the mirror.

Spirit glared down at his lap, his fists clenching. "Stein," He muttered quietly, prompting his partner to turn to him. "We're going to kill that witch. You and me," He spat. "I'll destroy her for murdering all those teachers."

Stein watched the unfamiliar rage in his scythe's soul fester for a moment. Spirit was normally so calm, so it was unusual to see him this worked up. But the redhead's passion had been stirred upon hearing about the deaths of those he appreciated. To Spirit, his teachers and the veteran meisters were his heroes. To have them knocked down by anyone was unthinkable, but he swore that he'd avenge and honor them they finishing their business and killing the Eris. Stein nodded grimly. "All right," He agreed. "I promise. I'll take that witch down with your blade."

The redhead smirked. "Good," He said, grabbing Stein's hand and shaking it.

Azusa shook her head. "Seriously, you two," She huffed, "You've only collected one kishin soul so far. You can't expect to take down a witch yet."

Spirit tsked at her. "Come on, Azusa. Have a little faith in us. We're really strong!" He flexed his muscles for emphasis.

"Your arms are like sticks," Stein deadpanned, halting Spirit's bragging. "The reason you wear huge sleeves is to make your arms seem bigger."

Marie giggled as Spirit slunk a little in his seat. "You're still helping me get that witch's soul, right?" He mumbled to his partner, who nodded again.

"Of course," He said.

* * *

"Stein."

Upon hearing Azusa's voice, Stein lifted his head.

"Let the bird go, Stein," Demanded Azusa. She adjusted her glasses on her face, causing them to catch the sunlight and glare down at the boy. Stein sighed, lifting his hand from the neck of the pigeon he had just managed to snag. The bird flew away immediately, uninjured. "Your other victims this week weren't as lucky as that one," Muttered the raven-haired girl. "Seriously, Stein. This is getting out of hand."

The silver-haired boy stood from his place in the grass behind the school. "I want to dissect _something_," He replied. "You just made me release my test subject."

Azusa shook her head in disapproval. "Stein, ever since you first attacked a student over a week ago, it's like you don't care anymore. To my knowledge, you've tried to dissect two other students and five animals, and that's not including when I didn't see you over the weekend," She pointed out.

Stein ran a hand through his hair. "You're right," He mumbled. "I really don't care that much anymore. Since everyone knows now that I'm mad, I don't see a reason to hide it."

"Keeping people from getting hurt by you sounds like a good reason," Azusa shot back.

Stein tensed a little. "Don't remind me," He snapped. He finally made eye contact with her, but his eyes had gone from dull to looking put off. "I'm trying, all right? It just keeps getting harder to resist, though. If I don't just let myself go every now and then, then madness inside me will bottle up until it bursts. Who knows how many I could hurt then? Or worse, kill? It's better this way," He mumbled.

Azusa looked as if she was going to yell at him, but Marie abruptly burst through the trees before she could speak. "Oh good, you found Stein!" She exclaimed, rushing up to grab the boy's hand. Stein's eyes widened as he was pulled away by Marie. "You need to get back to your dorm! You have, uh… A lot of homework! Yeah," She told him, dragging the boy behind her. Stein raised an eyebrow, instantly knowing that something was up. However, he didn't question her to make her believe he had no idea what was going on.

The blonde pulled him over the school grounds, Azusa following behind. It was hard for Stein to keep his mouth shut and not announce that he knew what was coming. Marie pulled him directly into his dorm, where she had never been before. Spirit had given her directions, obviously. After she opened the door and shoved Stein in his room, he was met with darkness, and the curtains were pulled over the windows. "_Everything about this screams 'surprise party'_," The boy groaned inwardly, right before Marie threw the light on, revealing scattered party decorations in no pattern whatsoever, while Spirit and Kami stood between the beds wearing party hats.

"Surprise!" Marie and Spirit cheered enthusiastically. "Happy Birthday!" Azusa and Kami joined in, although Kami looked as if she felt slightly awkward at a birthday party where she knew no one but Spirit, and Azusa just looked bored, if not still slightly irritated with Stein. The young meister tried his best to look shocked, but didn't do a very good job.

"Oh, a surprise party," He attempted to sound surprised. Spirit's expression dropped a little at his meister's lack of enthusiasm, his smile beginning to look as fake as Stein's shock. However, Marie didn't seem to notice.

"I baked cupcakes, and we all got you presents!" She giggled, pointing at the desk that had four little wrapped packages on it.

Stein blinked a couple times. "I can't do my homework if there's stuff on the desk," He started to say, but Marie wasn't listening to him.

"Here's mine! Open it, open it!" She exclaimed, shoving a box wrapped in purple paper and tied with a yellow bow. "I know you'll love it; I got it especially for you!" She beamed at him. Stein raised an eyebrow at the brightly-colored packaging, fearing Marie's taste in gifts.

"_She didn't get me a bowtie or something, did she?_" Wondered Stein as he undid the bow. "_I hate bowties…_" He peeled the tape off of the wrapping paper carefully, not because he didn't want to tear it, but because he knew that it would annoy his impatient weapon. He smirked a little as he noticed Spirit squirming out of the corner of his eye.

"Why doesn't he just get it over with?" The redhead whispered to Kami, who elbowed him in the side and instantly silenced him.

"Be polite," She hissed.

Placing the wrapping back on the desk, Stein looked at the box that enclosed Marie's gift. He tilted his head to the side slightly, confused. It was a colorful box, with a picture on the front depicting its contents; a bobble-head Lord Death. Marie grinned at him.

"Isn't it cute?" She said, pointing at the picture. "I know you liked Reapers, so I knew you'd like a cute little one to put on your desk!" She smiled.

Azusa, now standing next to Spirit, whispered in his ear, "Since when did he like Reapers?" To which Spirit shrugged. Stein opened the box and inspected the plastic figure within. It was true he had admired Grim Reapers, but after realizing that his father had been human all along and that Lord Death seemed rather incompetent, his appreciation for the so-called "superior race" had dwindled. However, he managed a smile for Marie, knowing that Azusa would kill him if he didn't at least attempt to look like he enjoyed the blonde's gift.

"It's great, Marie," He told her. "I'll put it on my desk so I can see it whenever I do homework. Thanks for giving it to me."

Marie was overjoyed by this, and showed her enthusiasm by hugging the boy tightly. The other three in the room watched as Stein simply took the hug without returning it. Upon his release, Marie handed Stein the gifts from Spirit, Azusa, and Kami. Spirit's girlfriend looked confused as she watched all this. She leaned over to Azusa, whispering in her ear.

"Why does Stein act like he likes whatever Marie does?" She asked Azusa.

Azusa glanced at Kami out of the corner of her eye. "Because I threatened him," She replied matter-of-factly.

Kami blinked in surprise for a moment. "O… Kay?" She said, still confused.

Azusa sighed a little, turning around to fully face the pigtailed meister. "Marie loves Stein," She explained. "She wants everything she does for him to be perfect. It makes her really happy when he tries to look like he appreciates her."

Kami looked over at the two younger weapons, who were currently inspecting Azusa's ironic gift of a first-aid kit. "But what about when Stein gets tired of acting and openly rejects her?" She asked. "After building her hopes up, won't that hurt her more than just saying that he doesn't like her now?"

Azusa's eyes took on a sympathetic emotion as she watched her friend. "Maybe," She said, "But, for Marie's sake, it's my hope that if Stein smiles enough, his smiles will become real."

* * *

**Anybody notice Azusa quoting William T. Spears from Black Butler? Their characters are really similar, if you think about it. (Just a name disclaimer here because of all the OOCs: This is a work of fiction. Any relation to persons living or dead is completely coincidental.) It's also a tiny little totally random headcanon of mine that Marie gets Stein bobble-heads from wherever he goes because she's under the misimpression that he likes them. Oh, Marie. Anyway, see ya next chap, guys! ;)**


	15. Wolf

**This otaku doesn't own Soul Eater. Neither does any otaku I know of. Unless the creators are otakus… I'm rambling again.**

**Innocent Hearts, Tainted Souls**

**Chapter 15: Wolf**

* * *

After getting out of school the next day, Stein followed Spirit to their group's meeting place. Stein didn't really enjoy these hangouts, as they prevented him from getting home as soon as he wanted to and pushed him to be social. Still, he knew it was important to his partner, Marie, not to mention it kept Azusa satisfied, so he went anyway. He hadn't said it out loud, but he told himself that he considered the small group his friends. He swore to himself that he'd never admit it to anyone but Marie, though, just because it made her the happiest.

"So what are you doing after school today?" Spirit asked the newest member of the group, Kami. The redhead was inevitably about to ask her on yet another date. The blonde scooted away from her boyfriend slightly.

"I was going to go back to my room to study," She told him, "For the test in two days."

Spirit tsked a little, smirking. "C'mon, bookworm, there's more to life than studying."

Kami glared at him a little, pulling a book from seemingly nowhere and flattening the redhead's skull with it. "If I'm going to be a great meister, then I have to train for it," She insisted.

Spirit rubbed his head, groaning. "But I wanted to take you to Deathbucks tonight," He mumbled.

Stein, Marie, and Azusa had merely observed the exchange between the couple until then. But once a date was suggested, a smile lit up Marie's face. She turned to Stein, grabbing his hand. "We should go on a date to Deathbucks!" She suggested.

Stein paled slightly. "A d-date?" He stuttered. The blonde giggled.

"Well, not really a date," She said, "Just a little… Friendly outing," She corrected herself. Inwardly, however, she was actually considering it a date. She knew Stein would strongly object to such a thing, though, so she decided to keep from calling it that.

Stein was about to turn her down anyway, suspicious of her correction, when he caught Azusa's eye. The raven-haired girl was glaring at him, her glasses shining menacingly. This caused the boy to roll his eyes and sigh in defeat.

"Fine," He mumbled. "I guess I can take you to Deathbucks," He mumbled. Marie beamed, and then hugged the boy in elation.

"Yay!" She cheered. "Wanna go now? Or do you wannna stay and hang out a bit longer?"

Stein blew a strand of his silver hair out of his face. "I'm kinda bored here," He admitted. "If you really want to go, we can go now."

Marie smiled and nodded. "Works for me!" She assured him, standing. Stein followed suit, trailing after Marie and away from the group. Spirit watched them go, smirking.

"Look at them," He said to anyone who'd listen. "Two little innocent hearts, going out on their first date," He chuckled. "I'm so proud."

Kami followed his gaze. "That sounds weird coming from your mouth, Spirit," She told him. "It's not like you're their father."

Spirit shrugged. "Yeah, but I'm their friend, not to mention their go-to love expert. I'm watching my pupils in romance spread their wings; it's heartwarming," He beamed goofily.

Azusa blinked nonchalantly. "Go-to love expert… Right," She muttered.

* * *

As loathe as he was to admit it, Stein had asked advice from Spirit before. Mostly, he asked about how to keep Marie at a safe enough distance so that she didn't consider their relationship as anything more than friendship. Spirit was against this, of course, so whatever advice he gave Stein, the younger boy simply did the opposite. As strange as this method seemed, it worked for the majority of the time. Still, there was one point that the redhead continually brought up which Stein had realized was very true: "Girls are always right." The silver-haired boy had discovered this after Marie took him shopping with her. When she told him that she was sure a hat looked good on her, he had expressed his disagreement very quickly and without any remorse. That was, until Marie began to cry. He didn't want to see her that dejected, so he tried to console her by offering another hat. She immediately perked up, but Stein knew from then on that he should always tell a girl she was right.

Despite that, Stein was pretty sure that he should object to Marie's terrible sense of direction. He held his tongue, though, following her silently.

"_It's a miracle that she gets to school and back to her dorm every day,_" He thought. "_I guess she has Azusa with her then, though._"

Marie looked up at the street signs in front of them. She stared at them for a minute, looking pensive as Stein came up behind her. She looked back and forth along the streets for a minute, as if trying to orient herself. She didn't do a very good job, and pointed off in a random direction. "This way," She said, walking off. Stein sighed and followed, wondering if they'd ever make it to Deathbucks.

After an hour of walking, through sheer luck Marie managed to find the coffee shop. The shop's bell jingled as the two walked in.

Spirit looked over from his position of leaning against the counter. He had arrived there a while before the other two, having known exactly where he was going. The redhead still worked there, even after paying Stein back. He had admitted that he liked it at the small shop, and having extra money for comic books was a plus. He walked over to his friends after they were seated.

"What took you guys so long? I've been here for nearly the past hour," He said as he handed them menus.

Marie sighed, her shoulders slumping. "I think it's my fault," She mumbled. "I have a terrible sense of direction."

Noticing that Stein looked like he was about to agree with her, Spirit cut in before he could speak. "Well what can I get you today?" He asked. The two looked at their menus.

"I'll just have a basic black coffee," Said Stein, "With cream."

"Can I have a banana smoothie?" Asked Marie. Spirit nodded to them both, writing down their orders and picking up the menus before walking back towards the counter.

Marie relaxed, looking out the window at the small street. The shop wasn't very crowded that afternoon, so the noise was minimal. "It's nice in here, isn't it?" She commented. Stein nodded, not saying anything as he sat jadedly with his hands in his lap. The blonde pursed her lips a little, wanting to get him to talk to her. "Are you getting good grades?" She asked, knowing that Stein enjoyed his schoolwork. However, the boy merely shrugged. A little frustrated now, Marie grabbed a napkin and a pen from her pocket and began to doodle. It was normal for her to do that when she got bored or was irritated, but she had forgotten that she usually chose not to do it in front of Stein for fear that he wouldn't like it.

Stein had been idly watching the three teenage boys across the room, who were discussing the latest episode of a popular television show. He paid more attention to their conversation than Marie until he noticed her drawing on a napkin out of the corner of his eye. He turned to her, looking at her art. It was a collection of patterns, filling in the perfect outline of… His eye? He smiled a little.

"That's really good," He said quietly. Marie was instantly startled, now noticing that she was drawing in front of him. Her face went beet red as she covered up the drawing with her hands.

"It's nothing!" She said quickly. Stein raised an eyebrow.

"I like it," He told her. "It looked really good."

Marie glanced up at him. "You sure?" She asked.

Stein nodded. "Tell me a little about it," He requested, leaning forward.

The blonde smiled, pointing out the individual designs. "I think I'm a good designer," She said. "I like to decorate things. So I drew your… U-um, _this_ eye, and filled it in with patterns."

Stein listened intently, genuinely fascinated. It amazed him that Marie's hands were in such great contrast to his. Stein's hands itched for destruction, to take apart and dissect. His palms wished to be stained with blood, his fingers could do nothing but dismember. But Marie's hands were gentle. Hers created things, beautiful patterns that could be enjoyed. The work of Stein's hands could be described as nothing short of horrific, but hers were wonderful. How scenes that were such polar opposites from each other both could be produced by human hands was beyond him.

By the time Spirit brought their drinks, Stein and Marie were constantly talking with one another.

* * *

There was a study period after lunch the next day. Stein took this time to study for the test the next day, but Spirit leaned against a tree and read. Initially, the fact that his weapon was reading willingly startled Stein, until he realized why. The redhead had purchased a book on how to speak Japanese.

"So I can talk with Kami in her native language!" He had explained the previous night.

Stein gave him an odd look. "I don't think she cares," He replied.

Spirit clutched the book to his chest. "Even if she doesn't, the fact that I'm trying to tap into her culture shows that I'm a dedicated boyfriend who wants to know all he can about his girl," He explained.

Stein still wasn't convinced. "Knowing both of you, you'll probably get a severe injury after she hears you butchering her language," He mumbled. Spirit insisted that that wouldn't happen, but by the next afternoon, Stein still wasn't convinced.

The silver-haired boy glanced over at his partner, who was mumbling the words on the page to himself. Stein shook his head a little in annoyance, but then something occurred to him. "Hey, Spirit?" He asked. The redhead looked up.

"Nani?" He asked, but then giggled like a little girl. "That means 'what' in Japanese. I'm learning!" He beamed.

Stein blinked. "Uh-huh," He said. "But I wanted to ask you something."

"Nani?" Spirit asked again, grinning. "This is so fun!"

"Did you spend money you could have potentially spent on my birthday present on that book?" Stein asked.

The joy fell from Spirit's face as he avoided Stein's gaze. "Well… You don't need to be greedy," He huffed.

"Knew it." Stein smirked a little.

"I got you a great gift, anyway!" Retorted Spirit.

Stein pulled his friend's book down from his face to get eye contact with him. "You gave me money you already owed me," He said. Spirit snatched his book back and turned to the side as Stein continued. "That's not really a gift, Spirit."

"But I paid you back for the dinner date," Mumbled the scythe. Stein rolled his eyes again, scooting back to resume reading his schoolbook. The two were silent for another few moments, until Spirit spoke up again. "Hey, Stein."

Stein looked up, slightly annoyed at being interrupted. He ignored the fact that he had done the same to his partner just a minute ago. "What?" He snapped a little.

Spirit stuck his tongue out at him. "Don't be so grumpy," He said. Stein shrugged, pulling his book back to his face. "Wait, that wasn't what I was going to say!" Exclaimed Spirit. After Stein looked up at him once more, the redhead spoke again. "I was going to ask you to call me 'sempai' from now on," He stated.

The silver-haired boy raised an eyebrow. "Sempai?" He asked.

Spirit nodded. "Yep. Exactly like that."

"Why 'sempai'?" Asked Stein. In response, Spirit shoved his book in his friend's face.

"Because, according to this chart of Japanese honorifics," He said, "Sempai means upperclassman! And since that's what I am to you, you've gotta call me that if I'm gonna get the feel of speaking Japanese!" He proclaimed. "So, from now on I'm either 'Sempai', or 'Albarn-sempai'. Kay?" He smiled. "And you're Stein-kun."

Stein shrugged, going back to his book. "As long as that doesn't mean anything degrading, I'm fine with it, Spirit," He muttered.

"Ahem," Spirit cleared his throat as a cue to his partner, who groaned.

"Sorry, _Sempai_," He snapped. Not noticing his partner's melancholy, Spirit let out an excited little noise and went back to reading his book.

With their study time almost over, Stein continued to read his textbook. He remained focused, until his eyes found what most students would have passed over as useless information. But for Stein, it was a trigger he didn't need.

_This principle of weapon anatomy has been discovered through dissection…_

Stein stiffened. He had been trying to forget his urges, and it had worked for the most part. He didn't expect that sudden reminder. The more he stared at the page, the more the word "dissection" continued to stand out. Without warning, it seemed to him as if every drop of ink on the page was turning into that dreaded word.

_This principle of weapon DISSECTION has been DISSECTION through DISSECTION_

_This DISSECTION of DISSECTION has DISSECTION DISSECTION through DISSECTION_

_DISSECTION DISSECTION DISSECTION DISSECTION DISSECTION DISSECTION DISSECTION DISSECTION DISSECTION DISSECTION_

Stein slammed the book shut as the world began to spin around him. He had been making progress. He had been wanting to protect his friends. He had resisted the urge to kill anything. Was that small word, that insignificant sentence, all he needed to push him over the edge?

"_Maybe I wasn't as strong as I thought_," He thought as his hands shook violently.

Spirit began looking worried. "Hey, Stein. You alright?" He asked. He didn't use the Japanese suffix, knowing something serious was going on.

Stein shook his head as he staggered to his feet. "F-fine," He hissed. He found his hands reaching forward, desiring to grab his partner. He wanted to tear him apart, to feel his blood seep through his fingers, to discover for himself what his textbook told him about weapon anatomy… He jerked away, gripping his hands together to keep himself from lashing out. "I… I need to go," He said quickly, running off.

Stein's heart pounded in his ears. "_I'll find something small_," He told himself. "_Like… Like a bird or a squirrel or something. Yeah_," He tried to calm himself. However, he knew full well that every animal that could be a potential victim was bound to have run off after hearing the reckless noise he was making as he tore through the trees.

"Stein?"

The silver-haired boy froze. He had run nearly halfway around the school, and had stumbled upon the last person he wanted to see.

"Hi, Stein," Smiled Marie. "What brings you here? Wait," A frown crossed her features. "Are you okay? You seem tense."

Stein stared at her. The first warm-bodied creature he had encountered since running away from Spirit… She was standing right in front of him, practically begging to be torn apart. The dreaded word still echoed in his head.

_DISSECTION_

Stein stepped forward, putting his hand on Marie's shoulder. Marie looked confused. "What is it, Stein?" She asked quietly. Without warning, Stein tossed her to the ground.

_DISSECTION DISSECTION DISSECTION_

He sat on her stomach to hold her down, pulling his dissection kit from his pocket. Panic began to grow in her eyes. "Stein, what are you-?"

"Don't struggle, Marie," He began to chuckle a little bit. "It'll only hurt more. Try to keep your screaming down; someone might hear us."

_DISSECTION DISSECTION DISSECTION DISSECTION DISSECTION_

Azusa had told him to stop carrying his dissection kit around in his pocket to resist temptation, but he had refused, saying that if he had an attack then he wanted to be able to satisfy his urge before he went entirely out of control. However, it had simply been so conveniently nestled in his pocket when he found his perfect victim, so why should he refuse his desire?

"You ready, Marie?" He grinned as the girl continued to struggle and scream.

_DISSECTION DISSECTION DISSECTION DISSECTION DISSECTION DISSECTION DISSECTION_

Stein poised the scalpel above her shoulder, ready to discover the reason behind the immense strength in her arm.

_DISSECTION DISSECTION DISSECTION DISSECTION DISSECTION DISSECTION DISSECTION DISSECTION_

The silver-haired boy laughed manically as he brought the scalpel down.

_DISSECTION DISSECTION DISSECTION DISSECTION DISSECTION DISSECTION DISSECTION DISSECTION DISSECTION DISSECT…_

_Marie._

Stein's eyes widened as he jerked the scalpel back up, only causing Marie to scream louder. She had jerked herself around, pulling away from Stein a little bit. Just enough so that Stein entirely missed her shoulder.

His scalpel had struck right into her eye.

He jumped off of her as her hand flew to her face in a futile effort to stop the blood flow. He turned around, finding himself running once again. However, this time he wasn't trying to find something to destroy.

"Help!" He cried, looking desperately for someone. Anyone. "Marie's hurt; someone help!"

* * *

**There it was: the turning point of this story. We'll lead up to the climax from here. You excited? ;) This chapter's named after the song "I Know I'm a Wolf" by Young Heretics. I chose it because of Stein getting closer to Marie, but then suddenly snapping. If you hear the song, you'll get what I mean. See ya next chap!**


	16. Sun

**My goodness, this is so late :P Really sorry about that, my muse entirely died last week. But I managed to revive it, and I'll keep posting these chapters until the end ;) Thanks again for the reviews, everybody! Please continue to review and stuff; they're encouraging.**

**Innocent Hearts, Tainted Souls**

**Chapter 16: Sun**

* * *

Stein saw the many feet rush back and forth. Their yelling and speech fell as a dull noise upon his ears as he pulled his arms tighter around his curled up legs. He stared at the ground, not blinking while his expressionless eyes watched the floor. Still the feet ran, some bringing in medical supplies or whatever was needed for the precious patient, otherwise known as Stein's victim. They turned around a bend in the hallway and were gone. Other feet walked before him, smaller ones attached to bodies that looked down on the boy. However, they refused to look at his shamed face directly, and gave him a wide berth. They were afraid, and to Stein, they had every right to be.

Behind the Death Room's door he leaned against, Stein knew they were talking about him, trying to decide his punishment. He couldn't hear them, due to Lord Death's platform being so far away from the doorway, but he had been called to sit in front of the door until they reached a verdict. Despite his desire to remain at the Academy and become a meister, Stein knew it would be for the best if they expelled him. In fact, he was hoping for it.

A pair of shoes stopped before the silver-haired boy, but he didn't turn his head up up to face whoever stood in front of him. Whoever it was let out a sigh.

"Stein, could you just talk to me?"

Stein buried his face further into his arms upon hearing his partner's voice. Without a word, he shook his head slowly.

Spirit crossed his arms. "All I heard was that a student was injured, and then you never came back to our study spot. Now you're sitting in front of Lord Death's office. Were you the hurt student?" He asked, his voice sounding irritated. However, that was simply how his concern made itself known. Something was severely wrong with his partner, and he wanted to do everything he could to help him. The redhead couldn't do anything, however, if Stein didn't talk to him, and that worried him to no end.

Stein tensed at his partner's words. He jerked his head up to glare at his partner, who stared at him. The younger boy's eyes were red from silent crying, but his features were twisted in a scowl.

"You don't get it, do you?" Stein hissed. "I'm not the injured student, Spirit. Are you really that dense?!" He spat. "I almost killed someone! I'm the one who hurt the student!" He yelled. Others in the hall stared at the boy upon his confession, but Spirit suddenly looked strangely calm. Stein slunk back into his ball, shaking slightly as his voice quieted down again. "Everyone's stared at me and suspected me. You're the first person…" He paused, and Spirit heard him sniff as if he was crying again, "To ask me if I was the one hurt," He admitted. "You're either the densest person I've ever met… Or the kindest."

Spirit smiled sadly, sitting next to his partner. The younger boy sniffed again before adding, "You've got classes to go to." To this, the redhead shook his head.

"Making sure my partner's okay is my first priority," He told him. "It's the weapon's job to protect the meister, either from kishin, witches, or," He added quietly, "His own tears."

Stein said nothing, but allowed Spirit to sit next to him.

With the other meisters and weapons then in their classes, the hallways fell silent. Occasionally a doctor would rush back and forth, reminding Stein of why he was waiting for punishment. However, they soothed him a small bit. Seeing the doctors told Stein that he hadn't killed her; there was still a patient to take care of. It was oddly comforting.

Spirit turned around to look at the Death Room door. "Huh," He spoke up after they had gone ten minutes without seeing a nurse and Stein was getting worried, "They're still in there talking about you. Lord Death and a few teachers are in there, probably. There's got to be some real arguing in there for them to keep you waiting this long, huh?" He tried to joke, but Stein didn't react. The redhead looked disappointed that his friend didn't speak to him at first. Spirit then cleared his throat. "So," He continued, "Who exactly was it that you… Um, that was attacked?" He asked.

Stein was reluctant to answer. However, as if on cue, the final bell rang.

"You'd better get home," Stein said monotonously, his head back in his arms so that his voice was muffled. Spirit sighed.

"But shouldn't I stay here with my partner-?"

"No," Stein muttered. "Get home. Do homework. Practice Japanese. Go on a date with Kami. I don't care," He mumbled. He had let Spirit stay with him for that long, but he was still afraid that he might accidentally hurt him. He knew that his partner would try to stay, unless he was harsh. "Just leave me alone," He added, although his inward thoughts pleaded the complete opposite. "_Please stay with me. I don't want to be alone._"

Spirit winced a little, but stood. "I guess, if you want me too…" He said quietly.

Stein tensed. "_I don't want you to. But it's the only way to protect you from me,_" He thought, but didn't say it. "Just go!" He snapped instead. Without picking his head up, he heard his partner take a step back. His footsteps then began retreating down the hall, mixing with the other students' as they emerged from their classes. He left without as much as a goodbye.

* * *

Time dragged on for Stein. Eventually all the students were gone, and the doctors could be heard less and less. Eventually, everything was entirely silent. In the quiet, Stein could detect faint raised voices from within the Death Room, but they couldn't be understood from where he sat.

Slowly, in that position, Stein began drifting off to sleep. It wasn't long after that light footsteps came down the hall to stand next to the boy.

"Stein?" The girl whispered. "Are you okay?"

Instead of worrying for herself after having a scalpel come dangerously close to her brain, the young teen had more concern for her attacker. He must've been feeling guilty, if she knew him correctly. So, immediately upon being cleared from the dispensary, she had rushed to find him. She had been told by one of the doctors that he might still be sitting in front of the Death Room awaiting a punishment.

As soon as she found Stein, she had slowly sat next to him when he didn't respond. Assuming he was asleep due to his gentle breathing, she gently, tentatively, put her arm around him. Suddenly, Stein jerked awake. His head snapped up to face the girl that had embraced. His eyes widened.

"M-Marie?!" He exclaimed, staring at her face. Gauze and medical tape were plastered over her right eye, and were both brown and red from dried and fresh blood. Stein began shaking at the sight. He had mutilated her. He turned away, burying his face in his hands. The silver-haired boy felt as if he didn't deserve to look at her anymore, nor did he want to look at the work of his bloodstained hands.

Marie frowned. "Stein?" She picked her arm up, stroking the boy's silver hair softly. He flinched at her touch. "I know… That it wasn't your fault."

Stein sat in silence for a moment. He then turned his head slightly, so that one eye could see her. "… What makes you say that?" He mumbled.

The blonde smiled a little at him. "Your madness isn't something you have control of. Lashing out a little is normal," She assured him. However, Stein's gaze narrowed.

"But I should have control," He snapped. "And I didn't _lash out_, Marie. I _scarred _you," He said, uncurling as he slowly stood. "_She has to leave, too_," His thoughts spoke, "_Just like Spirit. Just like everyone else. I'm better off alone. You can't hurt your friends if you don't have any._" As he had done with Spirit, he decided that he should try and be harsh. Maybe then she'd leave. "Why aren't you scared?" He hissed. "Any normal girl would be terrified by the madman who scarred her. You'd be traumatized. Why do you continue to follow me around like an idiot without fear?" He shot at her. "That's even madder than I am."

His words stung, but Marie continued to smile sadly. "Maybe I'm mad," She shrugged. "But I care for you, Stein. I realize that others might be scared, but I know that you just made a mistake. We all make mistakes," She assured him.

Stein shook slightly. Her gentle hands, her soft smile… Why did she have to torture him by offering them to him? He could never have them. He couldn't understand why she kept coming back to him, despite all the atrocities he had committed. His fists clenched at his sides.

"_Just say it_," He told himself, "_Tell her, 'Marie, I don't ever want to see you again.' Then she'll leave._"

"_But she'll cry_," Stein protested. "_I don't want her to cry._"

"_You'd rather her cry than die by your hand, wouldn't you?_" Stein winced. His eyes became hard as he attempted to appear cruel. "Marie," He began, but his harsh façade was proven false as his voice quivered. "Marie, I don't…"

Without warning, the door to the Death Room opened. A teacher stood there, looking down at Stein with distaste. "Franken, we've reached a verdict," He announced. He then turned around, beginning to walk back into the guillotine hallway. "Follow me, please. No talking," He added as he stepped away. Stein followed, doing as he was told. Much to his disappointment, Marie began trailing behind as well.

"_Why can't she just leave me alone?!_" Stein wanted to scream, but he kept silent, as he was told.

Lord Death watched Stein approach. "Hello, hello, Stein!" He proclaimed cheerfully. One of the teachers cleared their throats.

"Lord Death, this is a serious matter," She reminded him.

The Reaper sighed. "Fine, fine. Anyways," He leaned over to look Stein in the eye, "It took us a while to come to this conclusion, because some of my staff suggested more drastic measures, but we've decided on your punishment," He declared. The Reaper then straightened up. "Franken Stein, for injuring Marie Mjolnir at the cost of her eye, you are expelled for an entire month."

Both Stein and Marie's eyes widened. "What?!" Cried the two unianimously.

"You're letting me off that easy?!" Stein shouted. "I could've killed her! I'm dangerous; I should be expelled permanently!"

"Expelled?!" Exclaimed Marie, "Why are you expelling him?! He's a great meister, but if he's gone for a month he'll get really behind in his studies! You have to let him stay!"

Lord Death shrugged. "I'm sorry, both of you," He said, "But we debated this for hours, and decided that temporary expulsion was the best idea. That way, Stein can come back and learn to master his meister abilities, which would help him with his madness, but only after he's been taught a good lesson."

Stein glared daggers at the Reaper. "You don't think that seeing blood cover my friend's face is lesson enough?" He spat. "I can't get any lesson better than that, and I'm still insane. I'll never get over it!" He yelled.

Marie frowned. "Stein, I'm sure I can help you if you want. You need to be around friends that can do that for you," She said gently, reaching to put her hand on his shoulder, but Stein grabbed her wrist before she reached him, tossing it to the side. With the boy's great strength, Marie was thrown to the floor.

"Don't touch me," He growled. "I don't ever want to see you again, Marie. I can't stand to look at your face anymore. It's hideous," He muttered. He suddenly whipped around, running back down the hallway. He didn't turn to see Marie's reaction, or those of teachers or Lord Death.

If he was expected to come back to the school, then he'd have to find a solution for his madness other than isolation.

* * *

Stein moved out of his dorm with Spirit that evening.

"Hey, where are you going?" Asked the redhead as he saw Stein pack. "I like sharing a dorm with you!"

Stein didn't even glance at his partner. "It's only until I'm no longer expelled," He mumbled. "Until then, I just want to be alone."

"But-!" Spirit began to protest, but was cut off as Stein closed the door behind him.

The silver-haired boy trundled his small suitcase down the hallways of the Boys' Dorms. He wanted as much isolation as possible until he was finished. He chose a room, away from any other resident, and set his stuff down.

Firstly, there was research. Stein made daily trips to the local library to uncover books about the subjects he was interested in. After feeling that he had enough information, he began to travel to the hardware and medical stores to get the supplies he wanted. Then he retreated into his temporary dorm to complete his work. Spirit saw nothing of his partner during that time, and began to get worried.

"Stein?" He knocked on the younger boy's door one afternoon. "The girls and I are gonna go get doughnuts in that little shop downtown. You wanna come with us?" The redhead heard clinking noises, like metal was being tampered with.

"No," Stein replied after a minute, saying nothing else.

Spirit sighed. "C'mon, Stein. You're gonna get really skinny if you just stay in there and not eat anything."

"I get three meals," Stein told him without opening the door. "I wait to get breakfast until you've gone to school. I get lunch while you're out, and I also make my supper at that time and bag it so I can eat it later."

Spirit crossed his arms. "Are you really that intent on avoiding me?" He huffed.

Stein was silent for a moment. "Yes," He finally said. "I don't want to see anyone until this is done." "_Once it is_," He added mentally, "_I shouldn't have to worry about hurting anybody._"

Spirit leaned against the door. He didn't say anything for another minute, but then asked, "What are you even doing in there? Creating life?" He joked a little, trying to push the conversation in a more cheerful direction.

"So what if I am?" Stein replied, without any inclination that he was joking or thought Spirit was funny.

Spirit raised an eyebrow. "I'd tell you that alchemy was a bad idea and that it'd probably cost an arm and a leg to bring back the dead," He said. "Actually it'd probably cost more than that… You'd need an arm, a leg, probably a whole body, and then you still would only get this freak inhuman thing…"

"What do you know about science?" Replied Stein. "I'm not creating life, okay? So just leave me alone," He mumbled. Spirit began to reply, but sighed.

"Fine," He said. "I guess won't see you until you can come back to school, right?" He murmured. When Stein didn't reply, the redhead nodded to himself and walked away silently.

Stein turned around to look at the door, hearing his partner's footsteps travel down the hall. He wanted to stop him, to tell him not to leave, but he shook his head. He had to get over his fear of being alone if he was going to keep from hurting people. He turned back to his work, altering the metal on the desk before him. Fashioning it to fit his desires was proving difficult, but he was going to do it. He had to.

Spirit occasionally leaned against the wall adjacent to his partner's new dorm room, listening to him work. He didn't know what else to do, as Stein refused to talk to him. Going to listen was just something the redhead did when he was bored. The day there was silence, he got worried.

"Stein?' He asked, knocking on the door. "You okay in there? Stein?"

There was no reply. The room was entirely silent. Spirit stiffened. "Stein?!" He exclaimed, kicking at the door and struggling to get it down. He felt frantic. His meister had seemed severely depressed lately; had he been contemplating his own death?

Spirit attempted to transform his arm into his scythe's blade and break open the door, but he wasn't very good at shifting single parts of his body yet. He knew someone who could, though.

Marie had come immediately after Spirit had gone to get her and told her Stein could be in trouble. She knocked on the door, calling Stein's name as Spirit had, but the room remained silent. In a panic, the blonde transformed her arm into her hammer and began slamming it into the door.

"Stein!" She screamed, barreling inside. Her eyes scanned the room desperately, until they settled on Stein. His back was turned to her as he sat on the side of his bed in the dark. Marie sighed with relief. "Stein," She smiled, more relaxed. "You really worried us. You should answer your partner when he knocks, okay?" She said, switching on the light. Suddenly she froze.

Stein's bed sheets were drenched in blood. He turned around to Marie, his olive eyes vacant as she noticed the red liquid painted across his own face. But aside from the deep red that covered the scene, Marie's eyes were drawn to the deep shade of grey that now contaminated the boy's innocent complexion.

An obscene bolt protruded from both sides of Stein's skull.

Willing herself not to scream, Marie walked up to Stein, while Spirit stepped in the room behind her.

"… Woah," Gasped the scythe upon seeing his meister.

"S-Stein?" Marie said softly as she stepped in front of him. "Stein, please… Speak to me."

The boy didn't move for a minute. However, he gradually turned his head up to face her. He blinked, looking at her face. She had an eye patch now, rather than just gauze. The symbol on her patch matched the emblem on her weapon form, he noticed. Everything behind her was a blur.

"I…" He spoke haltingly, emotionlessly, "… I damaged my eyes. I think I might need glasses," He said.

Marie's lip quivered. She then slowly got down on her knees and wrapped her arms around the boy, sobbing. Neither Stein nor Spirit could find words to say.

* * *

**Now we know how Stein got his bolt. Spirit also references another character that shares his voice… Anybody get the reference? ;) The chapter name for this story is based off of "Don't You Dare Forget the Sun", by Get Scared. See ya'll next chap!**


	17. Comprehension

**I'm trying to remember to write down everything I planned to put in this story so I can get it all in there… It's hard, I keep forgetting stuff that I meant to write down on my list so I wouldn't forget it XP Ah, the life of an author.**

**Innocent Hearts, Tainted Souls**

**Chapter 17: Comprehension**

* * *

Marie wiped a wet washcloth across Stein's face and hair, rubbing away the blood. "Stein," She began, "Could you please tell us why you did this? From the beginning," She whispered.

Stein turned his head upward, looking into her single eye. Upon seeing this, he looked down once again. "… I tried so many things," He said after a minute. "So many ways… To try and suppress the madness. Nothing worked," He murmured. "I tried ignoring it, then distracting it, and then giving it limited access to my sanity. It all failed. I wanted isolation, so that I wouldn't hurt anyone around me, but Lord Death wouldn't permanently expel me. So I had to do something else."

Spirit frowned. "I keep tellin' ya, Stein, that we could help if you asked," He muttered. "You didn't need to do something as drastic as…" He paused, "Whatever this is."

"This," Stein pointed to his head in explanation, "Will help control my emotions and focus. It's hooked into that function of my brain."

Marie gagged a little. "That's a little sickening," She coughed.

Stein shrugged. "It's true," He said. "Madness feeds off of intense emotion. So this will be a way to keep that in check."

Marie sighed, pulling back once she had gotten most of the blood off. "Stein, there are other ways," She murmured, "Like self-discipline. That wouldn't have hurt nearly as much."

Stein shook his head. "No. But self-discipline wouldn't have been as effective, and it would've taken much longer than this. I need to control my madness now," He said, twisting his bolt a little. It made a clicking sound as he adjusted it, causing Marie to pale at the noise. Stein then smirked, but not from the girl's reaction. "The change in emotions will be jumpy at first. But with time and experience, the adjustment shall be more subtle. Right now I just suppressed the desire to be nonchalant and gave myself the ability to be satisfied," He said proudly.

Marie's gaze suddenly hardened. "So you can switch off your fear?"

Stein paused, watching her. He remained silent for a moment, but his quiet only angered Marie as she clenched her fists. "You can, can't you?" She snapped. "If you can switch off your fear, Stein, then you really are mad," She muttered. Suddenly she stormed out, leaving the door swinging behind her.

The room sat in silence. Stein didn't want to admit it, but her words stung. After a brief period of this, Spirit turned to Stein. "… _Can_ you turn off your fear?" He asked.

Stein was quiet for another moment, twisting his bolt a small bit more so that it made only two clicks. "I can diminish it, yes," He murmured. "If I need to put more focus into a battle, I can push away my fear and charge in without restraint."

Spirit hung his head. "Stein, that was stupid," He said. "I may not pay much attention in class, but I know that we're constantly taught about the value of fear. You get rid of that and there's no hope for you."

Stein sighed. "Well, I couldn't just ignore one emotion. That wasn't possible," He replied. "It was all or nothing. The pros of this situation definitely outnumber the cons," He explained. "For example, I can now control my emotion of love."

Spirit looked up at his partner. "Why would you do that?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Because love is strong emotion," The silver-haired boy continued, "It excites the madness a lot. I didn't want it to drive me to insanity," He mumbled.

Spirit sighed. "Stein," He said quietly, "That's not how love works. It's not an emotion."

Stein shrugged. "Of course it is; how else would it affect the brain? Whatever the case, it's obvious that I don't understand it," He said, "And I probably never will. I've accepted that. Therefore I will never be hindered by it."

The redhead shook his head. "Love's not a hindrance," He muttered.

Stein stood softly, walking over to his stuff and beginning to pack it up again. "I told you I couldn't understand it," He murmured.

Spirit stood as well. "What are you doing now?"

"Packing," His meister replied, "To go back to our dorm. I won't stay here anymore, I don't need to," He stated, pulling the bloodied sheets and blankets off of his bed. "I'll take these down to the laundry room," He spoke, half to himself as he talked his way through simple tasks.

"_Like… A madman,_" Spirit sighed. "_I hate to say it, but I don't know if drilling that thing through his head really did much of anything for his sanity,_" He thought ruefully.

* * *

"When are you going to make your move, exactly?" Medusa said drily, delicately painting her nails black before decorating them with tiny yellow arrows. Just the way she liked it. Oddly enough, it was a favorite pastime of hers. It eased stress in addition to distracting her from the utter idiocy that was her family.

Eris barely even glanced at her middle child as the former emerged from the basement. "Whenever the drakes are strong enough," She replied, closing the door behind her. "They're nearly there, but I'll need to go on a few more raids to gather souls for them."

Medusa held her nails out from her face, inspecting her work. "You could just go now," She said.

Eris glared at her. "And risk destruction?" She hissed. "It's best to wait until Death City's forgotten about me, anyway. This will allow time for my pets to grow stronger," She explained.

Medusa glanced at her mother out of the corner of her eye. "What about that kid you keep muttering about?" She asked. When Eris flinched, the blonde smirked a little in satisfaction, knowing she had hit a soft spot. She fully expected it when her mother stormed over and grabbed her shirt collar.

"How do you know about that boy?" She hissed, her pupils dilating into slits.

Medusa let the smirk fall from her lips as she adopted a look of innocence. Or ignorance. She had trouble telling the difference between the two. "You talk about him when you think dear sister and I aren't listening, Mother," She replied sweetly. "But it shocks me that you say that a single child would be the most difficult barrier between you and slaying the Reaper." It didn't really surprise her at all. Her hag of a mother was old and feeble, able to be knocked down by a breath of wind. Medusa herself could never possibly come close to being defeated by a child.

Eris forked tongue slid out of her mouth in a threatening gesture, increasing her reptilian appearance. Medusa wished she had inherited that tongue, but it transferred to none of the Drake Witch's daughters. Although, the blonde knew that if Arachne or Shaula had their mother's tongue instead of her, they would've used every possible chance to taunt her about it.

"That boy," Eris snarled, venom dripping from her words, "Is no ordinary child. Never think that I am being cowardly if I cringe when he is mentioned; he is worthy to be feared. Do you understand, _darling _daughter?" She snapped. She only used terms of endearment when she was furious for some reason. Medusa reveled in the fact that she was getting her riled.

"_Coward_," She thought to herself, just to spite the old woman. "Of course I understand, mother," She replied. "But could you explain to me what makes him so dangerous?"

Eris growled a little, releasing her daughter. Medusa narrowed her eyes slightly when she realized that her mother had smudged her nails, but the elder didn't notice.

"His soul," She said, pulling her tongue back into her mouth, "Is too powerful for his own good. His mother was a witch, and his father a strong meister. That combination molded him into a terrible destructive force."

It took all of Medusa's will to keep from smirking and revealing her scheme. A boy that strong could easily bring Eris down; the blonde didn't doubt that for a minute. All she had to do was boost her mother's confidence, send her charging blindly into Death City, and get her killed as soon as possible. "But you've been a destructive force for centuries," Medusa said, reclining on the couch before she began painting over her smudged nails. "Surely the boy's strong, but you, mother, are definitely stronger. You have a legion of dragons at your command, and all that child has would be a measly weapon partner."

Eris crossed her arms in contemplation, simmering down a little. "That's true," She agreed slowly.

"Besides," Medusa continued, "You have age and wisdom on your side. From what I've heard about the boy, he is little more than a newborn in the eyes of a practically ageless witch," She edged her on. "_Age and wisdom, my tail. You're a senile old hag, and that boy seems spry and strong. He could pluck your withering soul from your flesh with one arm tied behind his back,_" She thought, thankful that her mother wasn't one of those witches that could read minds.

The Flame Witch began to smirk as well. "That's true as well," She said. "The boy's young and inexperienced. I've been consuming the souls of meisters ten times stronger than him for over a millennium," She chuckled.

Medusa didn't glance up at her mother as the former continued to decorate her nails. "I bet that after one more raid, you and your dragons should have the strength to bring that city to its knees," She suggested. "And how pleasing would it be to swallow that boy's soul yourself?"

A twisted grin gradually slunk across Eris' features. She licked her lips, as if she could already taste that irksome child's soul before it slid down her throat. She turned around suddenly, going back to the basement. "One more raid, everyone!" She called upon throwing open the door. "Then we're going to the Reaper!"

Medusa watched her mother with immense satisfaction. Her plan was going perfectly. She could kill her mother herself, of course, but it was better to let a meister do it. This way, she couldn't get blamed for it by the Witch's Council. To anyone who hadn't heard her prompt her mother, they would have no proof or possible way to trace the incident back to her.

"As soon as we get more souls," Eris announced, still able to be heard by Medusa, "I'll rip Stein's own soul from his lifeless corpse."

* * *

A week. That's all it took. Only a week passed, and suddenly the events of the past month were wasted. Nothing was going to help; Stein just had to accept that. But he couldn't. He wanted to keep trying, to keep hoping there was a way for him to stop. A way for _it _to stop. However, that confidence was what caused him to attack the coffee shop owner.

Everything began normally; Spirit and Stein both walked to Deathbucks on that Friday afternoon. The redhead traveled there for another day of work, and the silver-haired boy walked alongside him simply to hang out. Stein had quickly adjusted to wanting to remain constantly with people, as he was sure that his bolt was keeping his madness in check. Everyone stared at it, though some were courteous enough to not appear so, but as Stein had said before, the advantages outnumbered the inconveniences.

Spirit stepped in the door, smiling at the aesthetic atmosphere the place possessed. The calm colors, dull noise, and the rich smell of coffee relaxed whoever stepped in.

"I'm gonna go get my uniform on," Spirit explained as he stepped into the back room. Stein nodded in response, sitting down at a table wordlessly. He rubbed his temples, as if trying to push down the massive headache that had been throbbing in his skull all day. He tried to assure himself that it was just stress over the fact that he was going back to school the next week, but he remained unconvinced. He twisted his bolt a few notches, attempting to ease his mind, but it did little. If anything, it increased the headache.

Stein growled a little in annoyance; he just wanted it to stop. Slowly, however, his hands began shaking. But the boy was unable to feel shock at this. A grin had already spread across his face.

The young meister stood jerkily, and then walked over to the counter in the same manner. Master looked up from cleaning a coffee cup.

"You're Spirit's friend, right?" He said calmly. "Can I help you?"

Stein said nothing, but simply stood there, olive eyes vacant. Without warning, he began chuckling. His hand shot forward suddenly, reaching to grab Master's shirt. Master grabbed his arm before Stein could process what was happening, and in one swift motion, had thrown the boy to the floor on his back. Upon impact, Stein gasped for air, jolting back into his right mind. It only took one look at Spirit's shocked expression as he came from the back room, the terrified customers, and Master's solemnity. One look and Stein knew: it had happened again.

It all had been useless. The isolation, the bolt, his confidence. Nothing worked. He could never escape his madness.

Stein sat up, reassuring Master that he was fine and apologizing. He said a swift "bye" to Spirit without turning around before he bolted out the door. He ran past people and crowded streets, not hearing their shouts of alarm or concern. There was only one thing left to do, he realized. If he couldn't control his own madness, someone else could. Someone he had deemed an old fool, but was his only hope.

"Lord Death!" He called, throwing himself into the Death Room. He panted, out of breath from running so hard after having the wind knocked out of him.

The large Reaper tilted his head to the side in confusion. "Yes, Stein?" He asked, having met the silver-haired boy in the guillotine hallway. "I was just about to go home. What's the matter? You're not supposed to come back to school for another week, you know."

Stein nodded, trying to regain his breath. "I know… Sir," He managed to speak between breaths, "But… I needed… To talk to you."

"Hmm?" Lord Death said slowly. "I'm listening."

Stein paused while he regained his breath enough to speak clearly. "I…" He began, taking a deep breath, "I attacked someone else today, sir," He said, turning his face to the ground. "It was the storeowner of Deathbucks… I didn't actually hurt him, but I thought I had my madness under control. I attached this," He pointed at his bolt, "To my head, thinking it would help me adjust my emotions, but turns out didn't work. While I built it, I tried isolating myself to not hurt anyone. I still got random attacks when I was alone, though. I tore up things, destroying my work. It took me so long to build this thing because I kept ripping apart half of what I had already done." He stopped for a moment. "Basically, nothing's working. Nothing I try will stop my madness. But a while ago, my friend Azusa told me that I should have someone smart and experienced keep me in check," He explained. "I knew that the best solution would be you, but I didn't want an authority. I didn't like the way you did things. I thought I could fight my madness my way, but it's obvious how well that worked," He sighed.

Lord Death watched him. "And…?" He prompted him on, knowing that the boy wasn't done.

Stein's fists clenched at his sides. "And…" He picked his head up while his eyes adjusted to hard and determined. "And I've decided that I give up!" He shouted. "I can't do this on my own! There, I said it!" He yelled. He bowed again, but this time in reverence rather than shame. "From this day forward, I follow your every command as the leader of my existence!"

The Shinigami was silent for a moment. This quiet seemed like an eternity to Stein as he wondered if the Reaper accepted his words. However, after a short while, Lord Death leaned forward, ruffling the boy's hair. "Good show," He approved, standing up straight again. "All right, I'll take your word for it. But you better be serious about this," He said. "That was a big speech to just go and reject my advice again."

Stein shook his head. "No, sir!" He was still shouting. "I promise!"

"Good," Lord Death said. "Now, cut out the shouting. For goodness' sake, I'm not a drill sergeant. You don't need to yell all your 'sir, yes sirs' and the like. Actually, don't do them at all, please," He requested.

Stein nodded. "Yes, Lord Death," He said, quieter.

"Much better!" Chuckled the Reaper.

Stein smiled a little. He finally allowed himself to relax; the weight was gone from his shoulders, and his madness no longer had to be solely his responsibility. He looked as if he was about to speak again, when suddenly the Death Room's door was thrown open once more.

"Lord Death!" Exclaimed a teacher, frantic. "Emergency, sir!"

The Shinigami looked put-off. "Come now, I told you I'm not a drill sergeant!"

"But, sir!" The teacher began again. His eyes were wide and his body shook with panic. When his next words reached Stein's ears, the boy's ease was gone. He stiffened with fear, knowing that his trails were far from over. "The Flame Witch is attacking the city!"

* * *

**I really enjoy writing Medusa, and exchanges between the witches. The Snake Witch is a cunning little thing, isn't she? X3 So yeah, the plot's wrapping up a little. Oh no :o The ending will be great though, I'm working really hard on it ;) See ya'll next chap!**


	18. Burn

**I know that some of the characters in my fics are a little out-of-character. My explanation is this: They're kids. Their personalities are bound to change as they become adults. Azusa's a bit more hot-tempered as a kid, and Stein's clingier. They're different when they're older, and that's to be expected. Anyway, the last chapter's getting closer. I'm excited :) Oh, and I disclaim. I don't own Soul Eater, or any of its canon characters.**

**Innocent Hearts, Tainted Souls**

**Chapter 18: Blaze**

* * *

"I can't stop thinking about him, Azusa," Sighed Marie, flopped backwards onto her bed. "That screw thing… It's into his brain and it's disgusting and twisted!"

Azusa barely glanced up from her book. "What Stein supposedly put through his head would be a bolt, not a screw," She replied. "At any rate, he could be tricking us. You never can tell with that kid; it might just be a headband."

Marie sat up, looking indignant. "He wouldn't scare me like that!" She protested.

Azusa shrugged. "Maybe, but I've been researching madness. I read that sometimes it stops taking full control of the body and recesses so that it becomes a part of that the human's personality," She said. Marie possessed a finite understanding of the contexts Azusa's various "nerd rants", known to their classmates as "when the four-eyed geek uses big words", but she nodded as if she comprehended the information fully. Azusa looked up at her and rolled her eyes. "Maybe Stein doesn't have fits of madness that much anymore and is just becoming sadistic?"

Marie frowned. "Would that really happen to Stein?"

Her roommate shrugged. "It's a possibility, and it's not uncommon."

The blonde lay back on her bed, contemplating Azusa's words. "That sweet boy…" She said quietly, "Becoming a sadist?"

"He's not as sweet as you think he is," Azusa mumbled dryly.

Marie wasn't listening. "He got glasses because of that bolt, you know," She murmured. "He ordered them as soon as was possible, and they came in yesterday. He keeps them in his pocket."

Azusa pulled her book closer to her face. "Mm-hm," She grumbled, getting tired of talking about the little silver-haired jerk that her friend had somehow managed to obtain a crush for.

Marie looked over at Azusa once more. "What are you reading?" She asked, trying to take the subject off of Stein. She didn't appreciate what Azusa was saying about him, but knew that it was pointless to argue.

Azusa perked up a little bit; she loved talking about her books. "I'm reading up on dragons, or drakes," She explained, "They're supposedly mythical, yet they're Eris' familiar." She looked over the pages some more, continuing to read. She frowned a little after a minute. "According to this book, dragons are terrible beasts of destruction. They take extreme revenge very quickly if something they have devoted themselves to is tampered with in the slightest, such as treasure or another dragon. Sometimes they even lend that loyalty to humans. Most of the time, though, it seems like their loyalty to humans is mostly fake, and will only put themselves in a relationship like that if they have something to gain. The minute things get dire, they'll leave the human in peril."

Marie shook her head. "Bloodthirsty monsters," She mumbled.

Azusa nodded. "A little, yeah. But it makes me wonder," She leaned back in her chair, "Are Eris' drakes truly devoted to her, or are they just out for their own gain? How far will they follow her?"

In response, Marie shrugged. Azusa sighed, putting her bookmark in the book. "Whatever the case, dragons and Eris alike were both so horrifying that people chose to believe they didn't exist. They didn't pass on the terror of the witch and dragons as fact, but reduced them to myth and legend," She said quietly. "But now that they're back, humanity's received a grim reminder."

Marie raised an eyebrow. "Is that a reference?" She asked. "It sounds like it should be."

Azusa narrowed her eyes at the apparent incompetence of her roommate. "Marie, this is serious," She growled.

The blonde wasn't paying much attention, but looked over at the curtains drawn over the window. Seeing light come from behind them, she smiled a little bit. She had closed off the view earlier after seeing dark clouds cover the sky, but they appeared to be gone now.

"I'm gonna let in some of the sunshine, Azusa," She smiled, walking calmly over to the curtains and pulling them open. This action caused her to freeze in horror.

Azusa's eyes widened. "That's not sunlight!" She shouted, right before her friend screamed.

Gigantic fires flared up all over Death City, fueled by the flame-spitting drakes that flew above.

Frozen in shock, Marie didn't move from the window. Only Azusa noticed the nearby dragon open its jaws, aiming at the building directly next to the girls' dorms. "Marie, move!" She shouted, tackling her roommate and shoving her onto the bed next to her. Marie ended up rolling off of the other side of the bed as a result of the force that Azusa had thrown her with, and fell to the other side. It had all happened in the split second before the window shattered from the heat.

It was Azusa's turn to scream. She had tried to duck under her bed adjacent to the window, but the raven-haired girl hadn't been fast enough, and a piece of flying glass had struck her leg. Marie paled at the sight of blood flow from her friend's calf.

"Azusa!" She shouted, pulling her out from under the bed to lay next to her. The girl that Marie had always pictured as so strong and steadfast shook and whimpered at the pain throbbing in her leg.

"T-take the piece of g-glass out, doofus," She gritted her teeth. Despite the severity of the situation, Marie smiled a tiny bit. She was still the same Azusa. That smile was gone in an instant, though, as she realized that she needed to take that large piece of bloodied shrapnel out of her friend's leg.

"Why can't you do it?" She whimpered. Azusa glared a little at her.

"Because I c-can't get the right grip on it. It needs to be pulled s-straight out," She hissed. "Hurry; it hurts."

Marie gulped, trying to grip the piece as hard as she could without cutting herself on the sharp edge. "Want me to count down?" She asked.

Azusa's eyes blazed like the fire outside. "Just get it over with!" She snapped, and a reluctant Marie did as she was told. She swiftly yanked the piece free, causing Azusa to cry out in pain. Marie gasped.

"Did I hurt you?" She exclaimed.

Azusa's rage drained from her face. "No. It hurts less now; thanks," She said quietly. She looked towards the window as the roar of the nearby flames reached her ears. "We should get out of here. That fire could come into our building any minute."

Marie looked out the broken window once, and then nodded solemnly upon seeing the truth in Azusa's words. The blonde stood, but instead of heading out the door, she went over to her dresser.

Azusa's eye twitched. "Marie!" She snapped. "Did you ever pay attention during fire safety videos when you were little?! You're not supposed to grab things to take with you; you should get out as fast as you can!"

Marie nodded again before walking back over to Azusa. "I know," She replied calmly, showing her the t-shirt she had retrieved, "But I wanted to wrap your wound before we headed out," She said softly, grabbing the scissors on the desk and cutting up the shirt into a spiraling strip, which she tied around her friend's leg. "There," She smiled, "That should hold the bleeding for a little while," She said before picking up the raven-haired girl.

"What are you doing?" The sniper exclaimed. "I'm not a little kid!"

"Maybe not," Marie said, "But your leg's cut. You can't walk on it, so I'll carry you," She explained simply, quickly walking out the door and down the hall.

Azusa stared up at her roommate. "_I've heard that hammers are strong, but it seems like she's carrying me so easily_," She thought to herself, "_It's incredible._"

Marie rushed her friend out the door, carrying her to the Academy. "We should be safe in the DWMA," She said. "It's the sturdiest building in the city."

Azusa shook her head, listening to all the screams and cries surrounding them as the city burned and people ran, terrified. "No," She mumbled, "These dragons have to have been sent by Eris, and she'll be targeting the DWMA. The best place for refuge would be closer to the outskirts of town."

Marie looked around at the flaming wreckage; the damage was rapidly spreading. "But they just seem to be burning things haphazardly…" She said. Azusa looked behind Marie to see a figure approaching. She squinted to see whoever it was through the smoke as they rushed towards the two stationary weapons.

"Marie, someone's coming," She whispered, causing the blonde to whip around. She stiffened with fear.

"W-who are you?" She called into the smoke, right before the coughing boy emerged. Marie instantly relaxed. "Stein!" She smiled.

The silver-haired boy ran up to the two, his expression hard. "There are a ton of people running around this place in a panic, Marie," He muttered, "Don't suspect everyone that walks through the smoke." Suddenly he grabbed her arm and pulled her along with him, almost making her drop Azusa. "I heard your conversation over the screaming of scrambling idiots. The safest place is a basement, which I know Deathbucks has. It's an extra storage space where they keep holiday decorations. So you better not mind sharing a refuge with some plastic reindeer, pumpkins, and rabbits, or you'll probably end up burning to death."

Azusa narrowed her eyes. "Real pleasant, Stein," She muttered while they followed him.

Deathbucks wasn't far from the dorms, but they ran past multiple scenes of destruction. Marie wanted to help everyone they saw in trouble, although she knew it wasn't possible. Instead, she kept up with Stein, shedding tears for all the people she couldn't save. It was her duty as a student of the DWMA to protect people from evil, but without a meister, and especially while carrying Azusa in her arms, Marie knew she was entirely helpless. She hated that feeling.

Stein burst into Deathbucks, viewing the shattered tranquility of the scene. Tables were overturned, as well as chairs, plates, and drinks. The small shop wasn't filled with idle chatter, but was empty and silent. The roar of the flames from outside and the cries of the citizens could barely be heard through the glass windows.

"It's like it's abandoned," Whispered Marie, as if afraid to penetrate the silence.

Stein nodded, leading them to the back room. The basement door sat in there, swinging open. Stein stepped down the stairs, and Marie and Azusa followed suit. The light switch was on, but the light was dim. The three could hear nervous voices, and saw various customers and staff crowded among the holiday decorations.

"I wanna go home…" Whimpered one teenager.

"I left my coffee upstairs."

"This is supposed to be my shift right now; am I being paid?"

"Shouldn't 'living through a witch's attack' be enough pay?"

"… Is that a no?"

"I'm scared…"

"I think I just sat on a wax Santa Claus."

"I hope my house is okay..."

"Stein!" Spirit said, approaching his meister as the latter stepped off the last stair. "You just took off, and then the dragons started attacking, and…" He stopped, turning his face to the ground as he sighed. "I was afraid… That you didn't make it," He murmured.

Stein shook his head. "I'm fine," He assured him. "Marie and Azusa need to stay here; something happened to her leg."

Spirit glanced over at the girls as Marie set Azusa down on a pile of festive tablecloths. His eyes narrowed. "As soon as we saw the fire," He murmured, "We ushered all the customers that hadn't ran off already into the basement. Master saw that the fires weren't natural, and won't let anyone leave. None of them are certain what's causing them, but we know it's not safe," He said, turning back to Stein. "It's that witch, isn't it? It's Eris," He said quietly as to not unsettle the other customers. Stein didn't move for a minute, but then nodded gravely.

"A few of the Academy's teachers spotted her and ran towards the DWMA to warn Lord Death," He said. "They said that she was just walking calmly through the debris while the dragons burned down buildings. From what I heard, she hasn't attacked anyone yet," He added. "I was in the Death Room when we got the news. I came here as fast as I could to get you."

The redhead began to smirk. "You remembered your promise," He chuckled, to which Stein nodded again. "Master and the others can take care of everyone here, so I'm free to go," He declared.

"Let's get going, then," Stein said, walking back towards the stairs. "I want to get it over with as soon as possible."

"Stein?" A hand grabbed Stein's sleeve, causing him to whip around. Marie stood there, looking scared. "You're not going out there to battle Eris, are you?"

Stein nodded. "Yes. Let go."

"You can't do that!" The blonde exclaimed, not releasing her grip. "You can't fight her; leave it to the stronger meisters!"

Stein's expression remained calm. "Do you believe in me, Marie?" He asked softly. This question caught the blonde off-guard.

"Of… Of course I do, Stein," She told him. "I just don't want you to get hurt."

Stein gently took his arm back. "I understand," He replied, "But getting hurt is part of the life of a meister. We sacrifice ourselves to protect the world," He murmured. "Besides, I made a promise to Spirit. I swore to him that we'd take her down with his blade," He said, before he began walking up the stairs again without a glance behind him. Spirit shot Marie a lighthearted thumbs-up and smile, and then he followed his meister. Marie sniffed.

"Be safe," She whispered, but tears threatened to spill from her eyes as her beloved went out of sight.

Spirit sighed. "She's really worried for you, Stein," He said as they stepped out of the basement. He closed the door behind him.

"I know," Stein murmured. "I didn't want to worry her more, so I wanted to leave as quickly as possible before I said something wrong."

Spirit raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?" He asked.

Stein didn't turn to face his partner, but continued to walk towards the door. As he pushed it open, the small bell above the door rang, reminding them both of the tranquility that the shop once had. Some things never change. The silver-haired boy lingered in the doorway, smelling the heavy smoke that filled the city air. To leave that door would be to leave safety, to risk fighting a witch that had hundreds of years of experience on her side, not to mention a dragon army.

"I mean," Stein began softly, "That I didn't want to let on the high chance of our deaths. You realize that, don't you?"

Spirit was stunned into silence for a moment, but then he turned to watch his shoes. "Yeah," He said. "Listen, Stein. If you don't want to do this, I won't make you. I do want to destroy that witch, and I know you made a promise that we would, but if it could kill you, no revenge is worth our deaths."

Stein glanced back at him. "Spirit," He said slowly, "Sempai," He added, remembering that the redhead had asked to be called that nearly a month ago. It seemed so far off. "I made a promise to you, and I intend to keep it. If you back down, that's fine. But I'll still kill Eris for you, or at least I'll try. If I die," He paused, then turned outside once more, "Then I'm sorry that I couldn't keep my promise." He stepped outside, the door gradually swinging closed behind him.

While Spirit smiled a little at being called "sempai," his gaze suddenly hardened as he rushed forward, throwing open the door once more before it closed. "I don't care about the promise, Stein!" He shouted, grabbing his meister's shoulders. "It was a stupid promise! You have no reason to keep it! I don't want you to keep it if you'll die!" He yelled. The two were silent for a minute, but the sounds of terror and destruction still echoed through the city. "Look, Stein," Spirit murmured quieter, "I'm your weapon, not to mention your senior, or sempai. It's my job to make sure you're safe. Plus…" He went silent, cutting himself off.

"Plus," Stein's voice surprised Spirit, "We're best friends. You worry about me. I worry about you too, you know," He told him, his words solemn and sincere. "That's why I did all of this," He motioned to the bolt in his head. "So I could restrain myself from hurting you, or our other friends, or anyone else." He turned around, facing his partner again. "I'm still going after Eris, Sempai," He declared. "Nothing you say will stop me."

Spirit looked down at his partner, but then slowly smiled once more. "If I can't stop you," He smirked. "Then I'll fight with you. We'll take her down together, like we talked about before. I'll be protecting you as your weapon."

Stein nodded, smiling a little as well. "Right," he said, holding out his hand. Understanding the unspoken command, Spirit's form shifted into a beam of light before landing in Stein's hand, now his black scythe. The silver-haired boy looked over his friend's form, wondering if this would be the last time he would see him alive. He shook off the thought, however, and took off running.

"She'll be heading towards the Academy," Stein said, determination lighting his eyes, "And we'll be waiting."

* * *

Approaching the city had been easy. Eris' drakes had flown through the clouds, hidden while searching for the city by scent. The witch heard the rumblings of an oncoming storm as she sat atop her favorite dragon.

As soon as they found Death City, she had her dragon set her down on the outskirts of town while her pets soared over the city, thirteen in all. Meanwhile, Eris began to stride calmly through the streets. She was sure she was spotted, but she didn't care. Her confidence blazed like the flames caused by her dragons, and she wasn't about to show the slightest bit of cowardice in hiding or being sneaky. She was the most powerful witch in the world, and she was going to proclaim it.

It wasn't long before the Academy rose out of the smoke before her. Eris grinned, delighted that her journey had been so easy. She should've known that nothing was that simple.

"Stop right there, Eris Gorgon."

Eris did stop, trying not to cringe in fear at that voice. Stein stepped out from an alley to stand a block in front of her, barring her straight passage to the DWMA.

"_He's just a child,_" Eris assured herself, "_A mere child with a dull scythe. Nothing to be scared of_." She put on a brave smirk, flames beginning to circle her hands.

"I'm not letting you get to Lord Death or his Academy," Stein proclaimed, swiping Spirit in front of him in what seemed to be an attempt at a show of force.

"_A child's dance_," Eris grinned. "So be it," She called back, "Over your dead body, is it?"

Stein's eyes narrowed. "I won't die today," He growled.

Eris only grinned more. "Then why don't you charge me?" She taunted.

Stein's grip tightened on his scythe's shaft. "Because to rush to your opponent's attack is madness," He shot back.

The Flame Witch laughed. "I like your style," She purred, "But I'm afraid we're both quite mad." With the speed of a spreading wildfire, Eris rushed at Stein, the flames on her hands burning blue.

Eris had no idea that she had been followed. From the shadows, Medusa smirked.

"This is bound to be interesting."

* * *

**I now realize that not much happened in this chapter… Sorry XP The next chapter is that "epic final battle thing," so stick around! See ya next chap! ;) (Oh, by the way, Azusa and Marie's dragon hate isn't shared by this author. I love dragons.)**


	19. Unleashed

**The final confrontation is upon us. Cue epic battle music! (My mind is thinking "Witch Hunt" by Vocaloid as I write this. The lyrics don't exactly match up, but the tune's great. Um, I'm rambling again…) Well, I probably won't put an author's note at the end of this chapter, because I wanna leave you to dwell on the end of it ;) This won't be the last chapter, though, I promise. There'll be another chapter to wrap things up, but everything climaxes here. So, without further ado, I declare that I do not own Soul Eater, the inspiration of Eris' dragons, or the inspiration for her name.**

**Innocent Hearts, Tainted Souls**

**Chapter 19: Unleashed**

* * *

Stein dodged Eris' first attack, stepping out of the way unscathed. The witch whipped around, trying to hit Stein with her flaming fists, but the boy continued to dodge, causing Eris to grin.

"Afraid to attack me, boy?" She chuckled, "Scared of me?"

Stein's eyes narrowed. In truth, he was just waiting for an opening, but he was through talking to Eris. To talk back to her would only encourage her taunts. He suddenly swung Spirit around, nicking Eris' arm with his blade before she dodged. The witch quickly jumped back, out of the boy's reach. Stein didn't have time to attack back before she began throwing flames at him. Stein continuously stepped out of the line of attack, but began to get curious.

"These flames aren't real, are they?" He spoke to Spirit. "They're Eris' magic, not true fire."

"Who cares?!" Spirit shot back, getting scared of the flying flames and how they could melt his metal. "It still burns; it might as well be fire!"

Stein watched Eris closely. "But it's not," He replied calmly, "It's just an attack. And any attack," He whipped Spirit around, holding the scythe in front of him defensively, "Can be deflected."

Spirit's reflection appeared on his blade, his eyes wide. "Stein, don't-!"

The scythe was cut off as the next attack from Eris flew through the air at the two. Stein twirled Spirit around, hitting the fire straight-on. Searing pain flared from the point of impact into Spirit, but only for a heartbeat before the flame was sent hurtling into the sky, where it fizzled out.

"Ow…" Spirit groaned. "It feels like I just got a shot…"

Stein smiled a little in satisfaction. "It looks like her attacks get less powerful the further they get from her," He said, "So we've figured out that much."

"Yeah," Spirit muttered, "But we need to get close to attack her. Whether it goes against your battle philosophy or not, Stein, you need to charge her."

The silver-haired boy began frowning once again. "I know," He murmured. Without warning he rushed forward, running straight towards the witch.

Eris resisted the urge to flinch. Instead, when Stein charged her, she stepped out of the way, briefly looking over the child. Her thoughts screamed at her to be afraid; the boy was getting too confident. With that attitude, he might be able to… No. Eris pushed the thoughts away, forbidding fear to enter her mind. Fear was a hindrance; a feeling that would prevent her from receiving the glorious taste of revenge. She knew that the understanding of fear was one of the principle teachings of the DWMA, and that it had won their battles for decades. However, she refused to stoop to the level of that filthy school.

"You're strong, I'll give you that," She proclaimed, now that Stein and Spirit were slicing at her while she dodged. The tables had turned, and she didn't like it. "But I'm afraid that you're not strong enough. Exactly how many souls have you collected with your partner? A meager amount, surely. Besides, none of them could have possibly been as challenging as the one I enchanted," She taunted, hoping to surprise him with her last comment.

While Stein was surprised, he wasn't startled enough to stop his relentless attack. "So it was you who camouflaged that supposedly low-level kishin egg," He said calmly, slicing at her neck. Eris leaped away, stepping from Spirit's blade.

"Of course," She replied just as calmly, although she continued to grow more nervous. That blade was getting too close. "_We'll just have to get rid of it, then_," She thought. Slowly she began to grin. "But you're out of practice too, you know. From what I understand, you spent nearly a month locked away, not practicing any of your skills at all," She said. She reached out daringly, too quickly for Stein to register, and grabbed both sides of his bolt. Stein suddenly froze, Spirit's blade inches from the witch's neck. He stared at the witch directly before his face, staring into her eyes. They were the color of flames. Eris' grin stretched across her face as she watched Stein's eyes widen in fear. "You stayed away from practice while you crafted this, did you not?" She purred. "It's pretty, I'll give you that. But I wonder what it does," She said childishly.

Spirit stiffened. "Get off my meister!" She shouted. "Stein, just swing me a bit closer! One more pull and I can chop her head clean off her shoulders!"

Eris laughed cruelly. "He can't do anything, scythe," She grinned, "He's practically paralyzed with fear. If he moves at all, I could twist this bolt. Who knows what'll happen then? So he's terrified," She chuckled. "This is what fear does to you. It's not strength; it's weakness. It freezes you up, putting you at the mercy of your enemy." And with that, Eris spun Stein's bolt.

Stein screamed. The pain that had suddenly begun to rush through his head was unbearable. Every emotion possible was whirling through his brain, slicing through his thoughts. It was too fast; they hurt fiercely. He wanted it to stop so badly. His knees gave way, sending him towards the ground while his grip on Spirit released. He screamed again. "Just make it stop!" He cried, tears welling up at the sides of his eyes at the unbearable pain.

Spirit transformed back into human form upon hitting the ground, staring at his meister. "Stein!" He cried out, trying to reach him, but Eris kicked him away.

"Don't interfere, boy," She continued to grin.

Spirit's eyes narrowed as Stein screamed again. No one should treat him like that. Without regard for danger, simply driven by a sense of protection, Spirit jumped on Eris' back and wrapped his arms around her neck. The witch froze, shocked as well as choked as her hands pulled away from Stein's bolt. The silver-haired boy collapsed, gasping.

All traces of Spirit's former cowardice were gone. He was Stein's weapon, and to protect his meister, his own safety didn't matter. This witch would pay for killing so many people and hurting his friend.

"Get off of him!" Spirit shouted, his eyes filled with fury. Eris whipped her head around to get a glimpse of her attacker, her eyes filled with equal ferocity. Growling like a mad beast, she grabbed Spirit with inhuman strength and threw him to the side. The redhead grunted upon hitting the ground, the breath knocked out of him.

Stein's head was pounding. His bolt was still, and the emotions had stopped their rampage. But his head still throbbed, and all the emotions being thrown together had generated confusion. What was he doing there? Why did he feel so much pain? He felt sad, excited, disgusted, scared, and angered all at the same time. He couldn't find a coherent thought. He didn't know how to move, what to do. Just then, as he wondered what he was supposed to be doing, a voice whispered in his ear.

"Come on, child. Get up."

Stein turned his head, looking up at the thing above him. No, not a thing, a woman. Maybe people would call her beautiful. His eyes were vacant, his fingers twitching.

Eris smiled gently at Stein. In this state, it wouldn't be hard to drive him mad. She had plans for him, plans that would break that insolent scythe that had the audacity to attempt to choke her.

"You're perplexed, aren't you?" She said warmly, "Confused. But, my dear boy," She purred, stroking his hair. Her actions were the exact opposite of how she had just attacked both Spirit and Stein mere seconds ago. "You can use this confusion. It can make you strong."

Stein's eyes focused slightly. Eris smirked a little; now she had his attention. "Yes, Stein," She continued, "Strength. Just give in to the confusion. Turn it into power yourself. Let it control your actions. Let it manifest itself," She leaned over again, her voice breathy and light on his ear, "In madness."

Stein sat up slowly, pulling his hands to his face. "_Give in_," He thought, his entire body shaking. "_To stop fighting? Will that help? Will the pain stop?_" He didn't know. He couldn't make sense of anything. All he knew was that the only coherent voice that he could hear was telling him to give in. Did he really have a choice? If he remained sitting there, he'd just be doing nothing. He'd rather be doing something, and the woman promised that if he gave in, he'd be strong. It was worth a try, right? Anything to get the pain to stop.

Spirit groaned, struggling to pull himself from the ground. The world swam before his eyes as his head spun. "Stein," He rasped as he tried to regain his breath. He turned around, trying to figure out where Stein was. He relaxed a little when he saw him, standing up and no longer screaming. "You all right, nut job? Where's the wit…" He froze, cutting himself off. Eris had stepped up behind Stein, grinning. Stein looked up from his feet at Spirit, his eyes now revealed to be unfocused, his pupils small. He tilted his head to the side, looking Spirit over. Gradually, a grin split across his face, more twisted then Eris'. All memory was gone from Stein's mind. He was living in the moment, and he lived for only one thing.

"I want…" He spoke slowly, but then he laughed. "I want to dissect you!"

As Stein ran at him, Spirit jumped up, jolted out of his frozen fear. "Stein, don't do this!" He shouted, holding his arms out and bracing himself. He caught Stein's grabbing hands as they shoved against each other.

The corners of Stein's mouth continued to twitch as he grinned. "Wrong," He chuckled. "You're wrong. You can't beat my strength," He laughed.

Spirit's eyes narrowed. "You forgot that I'm a scythe, Stein," He growled. "Metal mixes with my blood. I can use that strength to be as sturdy as my scythe form," He shot back, but Stein only continued to grin.

"That's just it," He smirked. "I want to spill that blood, to see it drenching my fingers. I want to see how that amazing blood of yours works. Is it magic? Is it science? Is it some incomprehensible mix of the two? I want to know. I want to take you apart!" He cried, gaining a burst of strength and shoving Spirit back to the ground. He held him down, his hands still gripping those of the scythe.

Eris laughed, merely observing. If they would kill each other, she could just leave them and go on to the Academy. However, she wasn't going to miss a show. She'd leave once they were dead.

Spirit cried out in pain upon impact, shaking with effort. "Stein, please," He murmured, trying a different approach. "Please let go. I'm your friend, remember?"

Stein's grin suddenly became less passionate. He continued to struggle against his former partner, but tilted his head to the side again. "No," He replied, "I don't remember. I don't remember anything. All I remember is confusion, and pain," He said. "If I give in to the confusion, it takes away some of the pain."

Spirit frowned. "That's not how you fix it, Stein. If you fight it, sure it'll hurt. But getting the pain over with is better than the dull pain you feel right now, isn't it?" He asked.

Stein's eyes widened. He did feel pain at that moment, but he had been trying to ignore it. "How did you know about the pain?" He stared at him.

Spirit smiled sadly. "Because I know how madness works, Stein," He said.

Stein's eyes suddenly narrowed. "I'm not mad!" He shouted, rage filling his eyes. Without warning, his hands pulled away from Spirit's and flew to his neck. "I'll choke you! I'll choke you and make you stop talking! You won't be able to say I'm mad anymore! Don't move or I'll choke you!"

Spirit gasped, his hands flying to his neck as Stein's grip tightened. He had no doubt that Stein, in his current state, was truly threatening to kill him. "Stein," He rasped, "Stop. Please. We're friends; please remember," He pleaded.

Stein continued to glare at him, but his grip released slightly. "No," He shot back, "I don't have friends. I don't need them."

The scythe smiled sadly. "Yeah, you do," He murmured. "You need friends, Stein. To hold your madness down."

Stein glared at him, "I'm not mad," He spat.

Spirit closed his eyes. "I know, Stein. So it looks like I failed."

The silver-haired boy tilted his head the other way. "What do you mean?" He murmured.

Spirit opened his eyes again, looking up at Stein with his childlike blue eyes. His azure irises were full of compassion. "I failed to protect you," He said, "I made it my mission to be your family, you know. I was an only child, but I thought I had found a brother when you became my meister. Someone to tease and get teased by. Someone who'd go to the arcade with me. A little brother I could protect," He smiled sadly, giving a little chuckle. "You're a lousy brother, you know that? At least, not what I expected," He said. The smile fell from his face when he became grim again. "I knew that you didn't have a family anymore either, so I made it my job to be that family. To protect you like a family would. But I failed," He told him. "You're out of my reach now, consumed my madness. I'm sorry."

Stein stared at him. His eye twitched, but this his grip tightened. "I don't need a family!" He shouted. "I don't need to be protected! Don't talk about what I am like a bad thing; I'M NOT MAD!" He yelled, throwing Spirit's neck up and down, slamming his head continuously into the flagstone.

Stein panted after a minute, looking down at his work. Blood splattered the street below them. Spirit's eyes were closed, his lips slightly open with blood dripping out the side of his mouth. His attacker stared at him, pulling his hands away from the scythe's bruised neck. His confusion had begun to ebb away upon the introduction of something he could understand: destruction. Destruction was easy to comprehend. Something was in one piece, and then it wasn't. Something was fine, and then it wasn't. It was simple. Spirit was fine, but then he wasn't.

The silver-haired meister suddenly froze. His mind began to work again, and he realized that Spirit had a name that he recognized. Spirit had been… A brother? No, close. A partner? A weapon partner? Someone close to him… Someone that he didn't want to hurt.

Stein stared at the boy before him, shaking. This was his friend Spirit, his weapon partner Spirit. He had killed him.

"Tragic, isn't it?"

Stein whipped around, seeing Eris again. His expression twisted into a scowl. "What just happened?!" He shouted, leaping up. He had a limited memory of what happened during his fits if madness. "What is my weapon doing dead?!"

Eris chuckled. "You did that, boy," She told him. "It didn't take much to drive you mad, and then you attacked your friend. His last words were quite touching, were they not?"

Stein's eyes glared daggers at the Drake Witch. He suddenly ran at her, pulling his fists back.

"You made me kill my partner!" He yelled, trying to punch her. Eris stepped out of the way easily. Noticing the sweat beading on Stein's forehead, she could tell he was already exhausted. All she needed to do was wait for him to wear himself out, and then go in for the kill. It wouldn't take long.

Stein threw his fists around, still shaking, but now with rage. He had trained with martial arts before, though his practice had been minimal. However, he was blinded with rage. His only thought was that Eris needed to die to pay for his partner. Exhaustion pulled at every one of his muscles, but he continued to fight. He knew it was futile, but anger drove him on.

As Eris dodged every one of Stein's attacks, he began to black out. They started as infrequent flashes, but then they quickly became entire phases in which he'd have to stop moving completely. Eris would just watch, grinning at the pathetic child.

"_What's happening to me?!_" Stein wanted to slap himself, but he spent all his energy on his attacks on the witch. He remembered the incident that had happened a while ago, when he had passed out for no apparent reason after fighting a young kishin egg. "_It's my soul barrier_," He thought. "_It's the two sides of my soul conflicting, isn't it? Keeping me from breaking?_ _But that doesn't make any sense_," He growled a little. "_I go mad all the time. Passing out can't be protection from it. Besides, it happens only in battle. If I wasn't so afraid of going mad in fights, I could…_" He stopped. "_That's it._"

Now that he reached for it, Stein could suddenly feel the shell around his soul, encapsulating it.

"_I'm holding my soul so close, trying to keep it from going mad._"

Cracks began forming in the shell.

"_I try to protect it, but I can do nothing. I need to release it._"

Fragments of the shell broke off, letting pieces of the soul's glow escape.

"_I am my own soul barrier_."

The shell shattered, allowing his soul to break through. It shone brilliantly, swelling now that it was no longer restricted.

Eris had been watching at the boy before her, chuckling as she saw him stop moving. He had appeared to be giving up. Suddenly, however, the witch was hit with a wave of energy. Her eyes widened, staring at Stein. "_What's going on?!_" She shook. "_His soul… I can feel its strength, even without Soul Perception._" She took a step back. "_This can't be the same boy_." Eris couldn't explain the fear creeping into her soul. She tried to push it down, but it was too strong. She couldn't explain it.

Stein took his glasses from his pocket, rubbing them off briefly before putting them on his face. He viewed the witch clearly before him. He then began to step forward, seeing the fear in Eris' eyes. "Do you feel it, Eris?" He started to smirk. "My soul. This is its true power." He reached his hand out, and Eris was so shocked that she didn't move. Grabbing her arm, he looked up at her. "I can feel it. It's so strong that I can feel its force in my hands," He said. Energy crackled in his palm, shocking Eris' arm. She shrieked, jumping back; she couldn't feel her arm.

"_Was that Soul Force?!_" She panicked. "_He can use Soul Perception _and_ Soul Force?! What kind of boy is this?!_"

Stein continued stepping forward calmly, eerily. Eris paled.

"Get away from me!" She screamed. "Flame Sword!" A blazing weapon appeared in her arm, which she swung around at Stein.

The boy gasped in pain as he noticed that his lower arm now laid on the ground. He turned away quickly, walking back towards the witch. "That won't stop me," He said. "I made a promise that I'd kill you with Spirit's blade. He may not be here anymore, but I can still keep part of my promise," He proclaimed. "I'll still kill you."

Eris swung her sword around, but Stein stepped away from the blade. Her sword came close enough to catch his glasses, though, throwing them in the air. They landed on the flagstone a ways away, the lenses cracking. Stein narrowed his eyes in slight irritation.

"That was my new pair," He mumbled, but then charged at Eris again. He managed to land his Soul Force on her abdomen, blasting her to the ground. Eris cried out in pain, not having time to get up before Stein jumped on her stomach, pinning her down and not allowing her to regain her breath. He set his remaining hand on Eris' face, spreading his fingers apart so he could see the witch's terrified eyes.

"This is the power of my soul, Eris Gorgon," He told her, leaning down to whisper in her face. "It's unstable, cracked, and bolted together, but never," He tightened his grip, "Ever, doubt its strength."

Eris couldn't scream, couldn't move, and couldn't do anything as she heard the energy begin to crackle in Stein's hand. Stein's terrifying expression, full of resolve, was the last thing she saw.


	20. Forward

**Innocent Hearts, Tainted Souls**

**Chapter 20: Forward**

* * *

Stein panted, staring at the witch's corpse before him.

She was gone.

Eris was dead.

It was only then that he silver-haired boy realized how much his arm hurt, how tired he was. The effects of blood loss began to take their toll, causing his hand to slip from Eris' destroyed face as his entire body collapsed on hers. As soon as his hand moved, the witch's body faded out of existence entirely, only leaving behind her glowing purple soul.

It was then that Medusa stepped from her hiding spot. She grinned, seeing her mother's soul in front of the boy. It all seemed too good to be true; the woman she hated most had been killed with absolutely no effort on her part. Of course, the boy that had killed her was nearly dead himself. She rolled her eyes, walking over to him.

Firstly, Medusa picked up her mother's soul. It was large, but not too large that it couldn't be swallowed easily. The snake witch smirked, lowering the orb into her own mouth. Her jaws closed around it, sucking the wispy flame-like tail into her lips. She couldn't help relaxing in the bliss of taste. It tasted like victory, power, and the promise a new future for the unappreciated middle child. Arachne had been adored by their mother, feared by any who heard her name. Shaula was treated as a child, practically babied and sheltered by the Flame Witch. No one had cared about Medusa. No one cowered in fear at her name. Soon they would. They'd be terrified whenever they heard a snake's hiss, knowing that the middle Gorgon child would rise above her two sisters and be the one to finally bring that witch-killing Reaper to his knees. His entire Academy would be her pawns. She would start, of course, with Franken Stein.

Medusa reached down, picking the boy up next. She glanced at the blood coming from the leftover stump of his arm and couldn't help the satisfaction that entered her mind. "So he did take her down with one arm tied behind his back," She chuckled, "More or less." She walked him over to his arm, pulling it back to his body. Healing magic was typically difficult for witches that specialized in destructive magic, but she had a few spells she could use.

Stein's arm glowed a little as it reattached. However, when the light faded, a large scar was left behind.

"The doctors can take care of that, I suppose," She mumbled, stroking his hair away from his face. "You have potential, boy," Smiled Medusa, setting down on the ground again. "I'll watch you grow up, waiting until you're big and strong. And then I'll push you into madness once more," She purred. "So that you become just the type of man I like. And then I'll bring you to my side."

Stein had been gone too long. Something had happened; Marie could feel it. She rushed towards the DWMA, trying to get help. She suddenly froze, seeing two fallen bodies before her. There were no traces of the two witches that had stood there just minutes before.

"Stein! Spirit!" She screamed.

* * *

The boy's olive-green eyes blinked. The ceiling was blurry above him.

"_That's right,_" He thought to himself, "_The witch broke my glasses._" He looked around, trying to figure out where he was. His left arm still hurt, but when he glanced over at it, he noticed that it was back in one piece. There were stitches all around it, and it mostly felt numb, but at least it appeared to be healing. When he looked beyond his arm, however, he saw the other body on the bed next to him. His eyes widened.

"Spirit?" He whispered, noticing the rise and fall of his friend's chest. "_He's… He's still alive!_"

The redhead on the other cot groaned, rubbing the wrap around his head. He thought he had heard someone call his name, but his head hadn't stopped spinning since he had woke an hour ago. Upon awaking, he had discovered that he was in the DWMA's dispensary, and that Kami had been waiting by his bed for him.

"Spirit," She had smiled a little, hugging him gently. "You're all right."

The scythe hugged her back, but winced at the pain in his head. "What happened after I was knocked out?" He asked quietly. "Is everyone okay? Is Eris dead?"

Kami pulled back, her smile gone. "Actually, no one knows," She told him. "But most of the dragons were killed. A few flew off, but they're being tracked down," She said.

Spirit nodded a little, but any motion to his head caused it to reel. "And how'd I get here?"

His girlfriend frowned, turning towards her lap. "Marie found you and Spirit in pools of your own blood," She whispered. "There was a lot of blood coming from his left arm and your head. She got help towing you back here, where they did their best to try and heal you."

The redhead had glanced over at his partner. "Has he gotten up yet?" He wondered, to which Kami shook her head.

"You've both been unconscious for nearly twenty-four hours," She replied.

Spirit turned away again. "Oh," He said softly. He had wanted to rest then, and so Kami had left. Since then the room had been silent, until he heard Stein's voice.

"Spirit?" Stein spoke again, causing the redhead to turn towards the sound of his partner's words. The silver-haired boy sighed with relief. "You're alive," He murmured, reaching over. "I thought I had killed…" He stopped. Spirit was flinching away from his hand. The smile fell from Stein's lips as he pulled back. Something had changed in his partner; the fear in his eyes resembled that of an abused pet.

Spirit had always tried to trust his meister, even when Stein's actions seemed less than trustworthy. He had continued to believe that he could rely on his partner to not give in to his madness and not to hurt him. However, his worst fear had come true, and both boys were then forced to face facts: the trust was gone from their relationship, and their partnership crumbled from there.

It was a miracle, really, that Stein and Spirit remained partners for two more years. Despite this, it was obvious that the two weren't quite comfortable with each other. It was a rainy day in early May when everything fell apart entirely.

Spirit threw the dorm door open. "How could you do this to me, Stein?!" He shouted, rounding on his partner. His hair, which he had allowed to grow out, dripped wet with the rain, and his eyes blazed with fury. Stein turned to face his partner, looking up at him over the rim of his glasses. As the two had gotten older, Stein had become considerably calmer, while Spirit became all the more dramatic. Much to Spirit's displeasure, Stein had even started to become a little sadistic. As the silver-haired teen sat backwards in his new office chair, he twisted his bolt a little to prepare himself for another lecture from his weapon. His last rant had been about smoking in the dorms.

"_Like that worked_," Stein chuckled a little, exhaling the smoke from his mouth. The redhead had told him stuff about smoking poisoning his lungs and making people around him cough. Stein's argument was that he had enhanced his lungs by experimenting on them, and that if other people hadn't done that, it was their problem. Besides, he found smoking to be calming. Up until that point, however, he hadn't realized how much he had distanced himself from other people and started not caring much for them. The loss of trust in their partnership had affected Stein's entire personality.

"What's your problem, Sempai?" Muttered Stein, turning his seat to face the angered redhead.

"I'll tell you what's my problem!" Spirit yelled back. He reached up to his neck, jerking away the right side of his shirt from his collarbone. With his other hand, he pointed to the scar he had just revealed. "_This _is my problem! How do you explain this scar, huh? The nurse found it during physicals today, and I never got it in battle!"

Stein shrugged. "Maybe you did; you're unobservant," He mumbled, but he knew it was a lie. He was entirely aware of how exactly his weapon got those scars.

Spirit's fists clenched. "No, Stein," He hissed, his words dripping with poison, "I didn't. And the more the nurse looked, the more of those weird little scars she found. Do you know where they came from, Stein?" He spat.

The silver-haired teen crossed his arms. "And if I do?" He said slowly, further infuriating the older teen.

"They're incision scars!" Exclaimed Spirit angrily. "You've been dissecting me in my sleep!"

Stein frowned. "It's not like it caused you any problems. You're still alive, aren't you?"

Spirit gritted his teeth. "That's not the point!" He shouted. "I didn't give my consent, Stein! I NEVER would give my consent to that! You know how much your dissection habits freak me out, but you went and did it to ME! I'm not a test subject, Stein! I'm not your guinea pig!" He yelled. He grabbed his coat, stomping back towards the door. Suddenly he stopped, however, and his voice dropped. "You know, Stein," He said softly, "I thought of you as a brother once. But one day, you betrayed my trust," He turned around to glare at him, "And you've been keeping lies and secrets ever since."

Stein seemed entirely calm throughout all of this. "I'm not going to disagree with you," He told him, "I just wonder why you're telling me what I already know."

The redhead frowned, turning back to the doorway. "I'm saying that we're done," He snapped.

Stein paused from lighting another cigarette. "What was that?"

"I said we're _done_," Spirit repeated himself. "I can't be in this partnership any longer. Neither of us trust each other, and neither of us even like each other anymore," He muttered. "Kami's former weapon just moved back to Pennsylvania; maybe I'll go be her weapon."

Stein watched him begin to close the door behind him. "Wait," He said suddenly. Spirit froze, slowly turning to look at the young meister. Stein pointed over at Spirit's side of the room. "Aren't you going to get your stuff?" He asked casually, as if what Spirit had just said had absolutely no gravity whatsoever.

The scythe's expression contorted into a scowl. "I'll come get it later when YOU'RE NOT HERE!" He screamed, slamming the door behind him.

Stein stared at the door for another moment, but then sighed and lit his cigarette. He knew Spirit would figure out eventually that he had been dissecting him, and the silver-haired teen felt absolutely no remorse. It was strange, though; he _wanted_ to feel guilty. He wanted to know that he still felt some sense of loyalty to his weapon, but he didn't.

"Even though neither of us died on that day two years ago," He murmured quietly to himself, "Our partnership did."

Despite the fact that he thought he had forgotten the sensation over the years, it was then that Stein remembered how much he had hated being alone.

* * *

"I haven't seen Stein for a few days, Azusa," Murmured Marie, looking over the faces in the cafeteria. "Not since Spirit moved in with Kami."

Azusa shrugged as she ate her rice. "I heard a rumor that he's stopped coming to the Academy entirely," She said.

Marie froze. "What?!" She exclaimed, staring at Azusa.

The raven-haired teen shrugged. "That's just what I heard," She said. "I also heard that he went and got his own house."

That was all Marie needed to hear. Immediately she jumped up, running off. Azusa sighed.

"There she goes," She mumbled. "I should've just kept my mouth shut…"

Marie burst into the Death Room. "Lord Death!" She cried, rushing to his platform. "Do you know where Stein-!" She began loudly, but was cut off.

"Shhh," Lord Death whispered, putting one of his large fingers to Marie's lips. "I just got him to sleep." He pulled his hand away from her mouth, pointing at the gently snoring bundle he held in his other arm. Marie nodded swiftly; she had forgotten that Lord Death had been constantly cradling his newborn son. His hair was jet-black, without the white Sanzu Lines that were typical to Grim Reapers. Marie figured that he'd get them when he got older.

"Lord Death," She whispered, quieter, "I heard a rumor."

The Reaper chuckled a little. "Was it that my little kiddo is the cutest thing ever?" He cooed, looking fondly at his son.

Marie sighed a little in exasperation. "Not exactly, Lord Death," She mumbled, "Someone told me that Stein had stopped coming to the Academy."

Lord Death was silent for a minute, seemingly watching Kid sleep. In reality, his mind had just entirely switched subjects. "Yes," he said after a while. "He's still in my service, mind you, but he will no longer attend my Academy."

"But why?" Marie murmured. "He loved coming here; he told me himself. I thought…" She frowned, adding in a whisper, "I thought the Academy was his new family."

Lord Death sighed. "I believe we were," He said, "But for some reason, after Eris left, both he and Spirit began to grow apart. I'm sure you noticed."

Marie nodded. "Yeah."

"Well, when Spirit decided that he'd leave Stein to begin a partnership with Kami, I think it hurt Stein more than he let on. He didn't want to come back, I don't think, because maybe the memories were too painful," Lord Death explained. "Besides, I felt as if there was nothing more I could teach him."

Marie could only nod again, turning to look towards the floor.

"You could go visit him if you want."

Marie picked her head up, staring up at Lord Death. "What?"

"He moved as well," Lord Death said, "Into a house near the edges of town. I have his address, if you want to visit him."

The Reaper didn't need to say any more. A half hour later, excused from school for the afternoon by Lord Death, Marie walked up to Stein's door. She shivered a little at the sight of the exterior; the trees were gnarled, and the entire building appeared to be a dismal lab covered with stitches.

"Stein?" She called, knocking. "Stein, are you there?"

The door opened after a minute, revealing Stein standing inside the doorway. "Marie?" He asked, looking confused. "How did you get here?"

Marie looked down at her feet, shuffling them. "Well, I talked to Lord Death, and he gave me your address," She murmured. "I was… Disappointed when I figured out that you weren't coming to the Academy anymore."

Stein frowned. "Sorry," he said. "But if you're going to try to convince me to come back, I'm not going."

"I wasn't going to," Marie said quickly, sighing. "But I just wanted to visit you." She smiled a little. "Now that I know where your house is, I can see you a lot again, right?"

Stein watched her for a moment, but then turned away. "No, Marie," He murmured, causing the smile to drain from the blonde's face. "I think it's best if I stay alone."

Marie frowned. "Why, Stein?" She whispered.

Stein looked up into her single eye, admiring its gold brilliance. The faintest of smiles began to pull at the ends of his lips at the sight, but he swiftly hid it. "I need to, Marie. This is my home now, my lab, where I can dissect freely and not be judged for it. A place where I can be alone and learn to accept it," He said.

Marie shook her head. "But you don't have to be alone, Stein," She told him. "I won't judge you, I promise. I don't care if you want to dissect or whatever," She reached a hand out to his shoulder, but he jerked away.

"Don't you understand?" Stein muttered. "I don't want you here!" He suddenly shouted, startling the girl. He pointed at her patch, glaring at it. "I can't be near you because of _that_! Because of what I did to you! It hurts, Marie! Seeing that every day, seeing what I made you lose, hurts more than it could have possibly hurt you when I first dug a scalpel into your eye!" He shouted. Marie stared at him, taking steps back. Her lip began to quiver, tears threatening to spill from the corners of her eyes.

"Stein, I…" She began, but the boy turned his back.

"Just take your ugly face away," He shot at her, slamming the door behind himself. He glared at the floor below him for a moment, but then the harshness dropped from his face, only to be replaced by sheer agony.

"_I'm so sorry, Marie_," He thought, saying nothing out loud, "_But I had to. It really does hurt, seeing you like that. I don't want to be reminded of what I could do to people._" He put his back against the door, sliding down it until he was curled up in a ball at its base. "_So there are two more reasons to stay alone: so I can't hurt anyone,_" He sighed, thinking of Marie, Spirit, and lastly his deceased parents, "_And so they can't hurt me anymore. I've been through too much heartbreak to go through that again._"

* * *

"Stein. Stein? You fell asleep at your desk again."

Stein blinked, yawning. He stretched a little, pulling his arms behind his head. "What time is it?" He mumbled.

Marie giggled. "Two o'clock. You slept all the way through lunch, sleepyhead," She patted his hair. Stein swatted the Death Scythe's hand away. It was a slow Friday afternoon at the DWMA; all of Stein's students had gone to their next class after lunch, so he had time to grade papers. He fell asleep in the middle of it, though.

"You were talking in your sleep," Marie continued.

The silver-haired meister looked up at her. "What was I saying?" He asked.

Marie shrugged. "I just heard scattered words. Stuff about partners and trust and witches and dragons and stuff," She said. "You did a lot of talking."

Stein sighed, rubbing a hand though his hair. "I dreamed about my childhood," He said.

Marie looked at the book in front of him; a DWMA yearbook from seventeen years ago. "That's what happens when you fall asleep on an old yearbook," She smiled, picking it up. "We were so cute then; look at me in my little ponytail! And Azusa with her adorable little hairband," She giggled some more. "You were cute too, you know. Before you got your bolt. Not that you're not cute now. N-not that you're cute! I m-mean…" She trailed off, blushing wildly as she looked over at Stein. "Why did you have this book out, anyway?" She asked, changing the subject.

Stein shrugged. "Just looking at old memories," He admitted.

The Death Scythe's formerly nervous smile turned a little bit sad as she set the book back on his desk. "Not all of them were good," She sighed. "You weren't exactly friendly the last time I saw you when we were teens."

Stein glanced over at her, ready to apologize, when Marie burst out in a grin once more. "But we started over when I came back to the DWMA as a teacher, and now I'm your weapon, so we're all good!" She beamed.

The silver-haired meister wanted to agree with her, but he couldn't. He sighed. "No, Marie," He said softly. "I looked back at that time, and… I realized how bad everything was, and how I could've made it better. If I had changed little things then my parents wouldn't be dead, you wouldn't have your patch, and maybe Spirit would still trust me," He muttered, closing his eyes. When Marie put her hand on his shoulder, however, he opened them again and looked up at her. The Death Scythe smiled at him.

"Maybe, Stein," She told him, "But if your parents hadn't died, then you wouldn't have come to the DWMA. If you hadn't come to the DWMA, you couldn't have been such a great meister. If you hadn't been such a great meister, then you couldn't have been a teacher at the school, and you wouldn't be training the next generation."

Stein furrowed his brow a little. "Anyone else could be a teacher here, and do better than I am" He muttered. He had never told anyone that he had been the one to kill Eris, but he told himself that anyone else could've done that too.

Marie sighed. "Even so," She murmured, "The events of the past shape you into who you are. We can't change them, but we can learn from them and accept them as a part of us," She said gently.

Stein looked up at her, staring up at her as he tried to understand what she just said. Before he could do so, however, the classroom door opened.

"Hey, nut job!" Spirit called, grinning. "Didja forget? Today's the big dodgeball tournament!"

Stein's expression became jaded. "I don't do dodgeball," He mumbled, but Spirit grabbed his arm.

"C'mon; it'll be fun!" He grinned, pulling him along in his wheeled chair. Marie smiled, following them. She was glad that Spirit and Stein had begun to get along better as adults when they had both returned to the Academy. They still weren't exactly as close as they had been when they were younger, but they were making progress.

Stein sighed, getting up from his chair to keep Spirit from pulling him. He stopped so Marie could catch up with them, and then walked with her.

"_Looking over my past,_" He thought as he watched the blonde, "_I remembered… How much I liked her. No, not liked,_" He allowed himself to smile a little. "_I loved her,_" He began to realize, "_And… I still do._" "Marie?" He said out loud, prompting the Death Scythe to turn to him. "Do you remember how you fawned over me back then?"

Marie blushed, turning her eyes away. "Uh… Yeah," She mumbled, beginning to look uncomfortable. Her blush spread across her entire face, however, when Stein did something she didn't expect at all: he cupped her face with his hand.

"_When we were kids, she spent all of her energy trying to make me happy_," He thought. "_It's time I make myself happy and return the favor at the same time._" "I told you before that I couldn't understand love, right?" He said. Marie could only nod in reply. "Well, I didn't. But… I think I do now," He smiled a little. "I thought before that my bolt could block it off, like my other emotions. But I think I was wrong."

Spirit had doubled back when he realized that Stein was no longer following him. Turning a corner, he froze. He smirked a little when he saw his friends so close, ducking behind a corner to observe.

"It's not an emotion, is it? Love," Stein continued. Ironically enough, Marie was barely hearing his speech; she was still trying to get over the fact that their faces were so close. It was overwhelming. "It's a promise that one will always want the other to be happy," Stein told her, "Like we both want for each other."

Marie, Spirit, and Stein alike were all surprised when the he leaned down and kissed her.

"Well, isn't that sweet?"

Every head turned to Lord Death.

"When did you get here?!" Spirit exclaimed.

"You two really are adorable," Lord Death told Stein and Marie, "In fact, I've thought you two looked perfect together since you were kiddos. But, I'm afraid time's a-wastin', and we have to get down to the gym for the big game!"

Spirit's eye twitched. "Are you participating, Lord Death?" He asked, still trying to get over his multiple shocks.

"Oh, heavens no! If I played, you all would be heavily outmatched!" Lord Death proclaimed. "I'll be referee. But even the teachers have to get in there and have fun!" He said, pushing Spirit towards the gym. "Come along, lovebirds!" He called to Stein and Marie. The two looked at each other for another moment, but then Marie grinned.

"You heard him, _lovebird_," She beamed, slipping her fingers in-between Stein's. "Let's go play dodgeball!" She pulled him along through the hallways, but Stein didn't protest at all. He only gripped her hand tighter and followed.

"Welcome to the yearly DWMA dodgeball tournament!" Lord Death announced in the gym. "There will be three matches! First, teachers versus students, then weapons versus meisters, then girls versus boys!"

Cheers erupted throughout the gymnasium as the balls were set out and the students and teachers sorted to their respective sides of the gym. Stein looked around, a little confusedly.

"I never played dodgeball as a kid," He mumbled, looking around. Marie smiled, elbowing him gently. "Don't worry," She said, "This is where you get to have a bit of that childhood you didn't have. Besides, I'll be here to help you," She smiled at him. "But in the last two rounds, I'm kicking your butt. Just warning you," She smirked a little. Stein smirked back.

"Challenge accepted."

"Ready, Set," Lord Death said slowly. "Play ball!"

Balls were thrown frantically all over the gym all of a sudden. Battle strategies were cried out, while kids and adults alike screamed and cheered.

"Azusa!" Stein heard Spirit yell, "You are not allowed to use your powers to see where every ball is coming from and catch them! That's cheating!"

"If that's cheating, then you're out whenever a ball hits your blade, Albarn!" The raven-haired woman shouted back.

"Hey, it's deflection!" Spirit snapped, "It's allowed!"

Stein looked around, getting the hang of the game easily. He felt a little bit sorrowful, however, that he had never enjoyed the game as a boy. His childhood had been too chaotic for that.

"_The events of the past shape you into who you are_," Marie's words echoed in his mind. "_We can't change them, but we can learn from them and accept them as a part of us_."

Stein smiled a little. "_No sense obsessing over the past_," He glanced over at his friends, "_When I can work to make today even better._"

He picked up a ball as soon as he could grab one, throwing at the crowd of students. He noticed that it hit a young boy with silver hair and olive-green eyes, who couldn't be too old for elementary school. He looked at the ball, but then suddenly laughed, as if accepting his defeat, and then walked off the court. Stein never saw him again.

* * *

**So, there it is. Was it a good ending? :) Favorite and/or review please, guys, and tell me what you think. I'd like to shout out a special thanks to those who have done that already, and to my good friends (and boyfriend ;) that have helped encourage me and listen to my ranting as the story went on. Thanks everyone, and thanks to those people who even stuck with this story to the end. I'm glad you enjoyed it, and that you continue to enjoy more of my stories as I write them. Until next time, mortals!**

_**A sound Soul… Dwells within a sound Mind, and a sound Body.**_


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